


Beautiful Blind Love

by joe11153



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Caring Law, Cuddling & Snuggling, Desperation, Dirty Talk, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Fights, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Impatient Zoro, Incest, Jealousy, Love Triangles, M/M, Made For Each Other, Magic, Metahumans, One Night Stands, One-Sided Attraction, Out of Character, Sanji is innocent, Science Experiments, Semi-Public Sex, Slang, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Kisses, Stress, Zoro is player, Zoro talks dirty, desperate Sanji
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-06-07 10:40:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6800440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joe11153/pseuds/joe11153
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zoro is secret service agent, he is always very good at what he does, fighting and all, his crew and the organization is proud of him. When it comes to pleasure, he doesn't side with particular gender. Now, so it happens, he sleeps with a particularly hansom blond as a one night stand but this curly eyebrowed blonde couldn't able to forget the thing, he so much wants to get rid of that feeling for Zoro would not listen to him and Sanji doesn't want to beg, so starts the rivalary.....<br/>Zoro, on other hand, meets this girl, keeps seeing her, not in that way always but yes, he does. Now they have this awkward thing, don't know what to term it, find out for yourself.<br/>Zoro does not believe in 'love', he is realistic and stubborn man. He knows, he cant be at one place for years to have an earthbound life, have a nice little cabin and have a family, he does not have any family life or love life but that doesn't mean he only a pure workaholic; he is, but he is fun too, he not a dating type; he keeps moving on from one girl to another..<br/>As the story proceeds, something happens with the girl,he can't control himself from falling hard for her, life makes him understand he was in love all along, he just didn't realize</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Frenzy

“Hey Ray? Check this one out!! C’mon, try it!” said the brunette Tanya, showing Rachel a beautiful red colored one piece. Tanya, a friend of Rachel’s was a shopping-crazy woman……….umm…oh yes, all the girls are, but she was a little too much for anybody to take. The very group in the discussion here, a bunch of sweet and lively girls was in the mall, the biggest one in the city; Ray, actually…….. Rachel and her friends had some shopping to enjoy as they had been planning it forever and chewing Rachel’s head for the whole week, Saturday was definitely the day for shopping and hanging out with friends.

“Guys! Seriously, I am bored! I wanted to sleep!” sulked Rachel, her shoulders dropped down, frown marring her gorgeous face,     

“Aww, you only said you needed to grab some t-shirts?” snorted Tanya,

“That was last week, I ordered them online, and in morning, I said ‘Leave me alone’, like 10 times already! But you had to drag me with you!!” huffed Rachel but picked up a t-shirt that caught her attention anyway, other girls smirked and giggled at her behavior,

“So, you liked that one! Say? How is this?” asked Alice, raven haired friend of Rachel’s, as she grabbed another dress,

“It’s good! Yeah! But it’s neck is not that good! Try this one!” offered Sarah, the red head. Tanya was richest and cutest of them all, Sarah was the tallest and a little bossy, Alice was the shortest but bold and Rachel, the blonde was the most intelligent and beautiful of them all; hazel eyes, fair skin, light blonde hair, five feet seven, Rachel had a small lean physique, her hourglass figure was attractive and beautiful enough to fool others about her age, she looked like teenager though she was 26. Usually calm and studious type, Rachel took her job very seriously, she was a to-be-scientist after all, she liked working in her lab and mostly kept herself busy.

“Uuuurgh!!” growled Rachel,

“You are acting like you miss something or somebody, if I may say!” chided Tanya giggling, Rachel rolled her eyes,

“Shut up, I miss my peace and quiet! I told you guys to pick me up on way to the dammed restaurant!”

“Quit your whining, grab some good t-shirts before others wipe them off the mall okay!” was bossy reply from Sarah,

“What the hell!” exclaimed Ray and sighed, “I am going there, looks good and little less crowdy!” muttered Rachel pointing her finger to a shop where t-shirts were put on display and scooted away,

“Oi, don’t wander far, you don’t even have your cell-phone today! Don’t go to sleep seating somewhere, we don’t want to work hard just keep track of you, Blondie!!”  Sarah said raising her eyebrow,

“Yes, Yes, mother!!”  mocked irritated Rachel walking away.

:: Rachel eyed the various t-shirts placed on the display, after 20 minutes of observation she sighed and picked two she liked the most. Not that she hated shopping or something, she liked it too, but the Saturdays, she usually spent at her place, alone, mostly sleeping in for most of the day, reading, cleaning the place and evening she would hang out with her buddies, pay a visit to her grandmother in the night and go home bidding goodnight to her beloved Gran’maa. But this Saturday, her friends took her to Dena’s, they had breakfast, then they went to museum, now they also had made her go shopping with them. ::

“Huh! This looks so boring! I don’t like a single thing from this big stupid mall! This stupid Jacket, nothing goes good with it!” Ray was looking at mirror with disapproving face,

“It’s not your color! Try this one babe!”  was a whisper, Rachel jumped on her feet  giving a yelp and shot  her head to her left in direction of voice,

Rachel blinked at the figure standing just inches away from her,

“You bastard! You scared me half to death!!!”

‘When the hell did he get here? How come I did not notice?’ though Rachel,

Five feet eleven inches of brawny mouthwatering figure, hunky chest, wheat colored skin, ripping abs, cocky grin, devilish charm and thick muscular voice, three golden piercings on left ear, he was a real beautiful sight.  Rachel narrowed her eyes on the greenett as she was being yanked off her feet,

Rachel was grabbed by front of her open jacket and ……….

“O--oi! Mmmggrh!!  S--Stop! Hey yo-..”  Zoro smashed their lips together, his hands fumbled through her clothes, hurried into her t-shirt, rubbed on her skin, groping wherever they went,

“Haaaah!” moaned Rachel in his mouth as he sandwiched her lip in his and sucked it inside his warm mouth,

“Oi! Not here! Wait! Z---Zoro!”

His hand grabbed her ass cheek, he started wood pecking her face, all over,

“Zoro!” exclaimed Rachel and soon busted out laughing, he smiled and put his lips on her neck, kissed and suddenly took her skin between his teeth,

“How the hell did even you know I was here?”  asked Rachel breathlessly,

“That’s not important!” 

“Yeah? Then what is?”

“I really need to be inside you, like right now!” whispered Zoro and lifted her off her feet,

“Whoa- whoa! What?? Zoro wait!”  but it was too late,

Rachel was thrown over Zoro’s shoulders, she couldn’t so as much as move her hand, yelling was not an option unless she wanted people to witness what they were about to do because when Zoro had something on his mind, he would do it what might the consequence be….

“Idiot! Wait till I get home!”

“No can do, sexy pants!” said Zoro putting her on ground, but they were in the changing room, door got locked shut behind him just as soon. Though it was not new altogether, Rachel couldn’t keep up with his hunger,

Not a second later, Rachel was held against the wall, she felt jerk on her jeans, button came undone, Zip got pulled down to reveal her panties, Rachel’s mouth was sealed onto Zoro’s, her bosom against his chest, her pants were messily undone, his hands fumbling, trying to feel as much as they could with all the clothes on her body, feeling her skin. Lips sucked, teeth clashed, fingers dug in the skin, both were nearly wild in exploration though there was nothing new to explore. Rachel took a much needed breath as he left her mouth and moved to her neck to create a mark.

Zoro wanted to get her properly naked, he wanted to hold her to him, kiss her all over, he would definitely do that later the night but right now, not much options. This urge, the dementedness took over his mind when he saw her,

“I am sorry babe! I need to go in, right fucking now!”

“Zoro you are gonna get our clothes all dirty!!”

“I will buy you new ones.”

“Not the point dummy!” she felt his wet member on her skin,

‘Seriously?? His hands were on me all the time, when the hell he pulled his dick out of his pants!’ thought Ray and snorted at her own thought. Rachel was hauled up a little, balanced on his hands, back against the wall, her leaking wet entrance rubbed against Zoro’s thick wet cock.

“Hey Ray!”

“Say it babe! Can I? Please just say it!” was Zoro’s impatient whisper,

“Take me baby! Ruin me Zoro!” whispered Rachel balancing her weight on him, gripping the wooden shelf,

Zoro’s pants slid down, hit the floor with soft thud, puddled around his ankles, his member was pushed inside her, Zoro held his breath pushing himself inside Rachel all the way in till his balls touched her pussy. Zoro turned his head up, snatched her lips again in a messy but quick kiss. And there was it…..the look of ecstasy on his face, Rachel could see it with her half lidded eyes, she moaned inaudibly as he scrapped his teeth on her collarbone,

“Buried balls deep within you! Haaah! This is how I like it!”

‘Whispers’, Zoro’s sexy whispers in her ears, his voice, the way he said those things, aroused her even more, she loved them not that she admitted it to him, he too didn’t want to hear her say it, he just knew it by now. Rachel blinked the pain away. Stretched around his thick shaft, Rachel hyperventilated to get her breathing in control.

“Haah! Zoro! Haah! Aaah! So impatient……… as always!” Panted Rachel, gripped his shirt in hands and tried to move to earn some friction, Zoro steadied her to keep her from moving along his shaft, he wanted her to ask for it,

“I have been thinking about this since the night!” Zoro grabbed her boob in his hand and sucked on hard nipple, Rachel hissed at the sudden pinching on her soft organ, he didn’t move anything but his hand and his lips working around her boob,

“Haaaah! Oh Z--Zoro!”

“Baby, I am gonna fill you up to the core!”

“Wanna hear you scream my name till my ears bleed!”                      

“Stop fooling around! Move already!” wailed Ray,

“I love it when you get greedy!!” smirked Zoro grinding her on his hips,

“Meee?? Greedy? Like you are one to talk!”

“Hey! Ray! You in there?” yell, definitely Sarah, Ray gasped and tightened her legs around his waist,

Sarah’s voice followed by a knock, she hugged him firmly and they froze in place, eyes wide open!

“Busted!!” whispered Rachel and swallowed thickly,

“Answer her!”  smirked Zoro groping her ass,

“You are so dead Roronoa!” whispered Rachel, Zoro was seated deep inside her, Rachel’s legs couldn’t hold her weight, both were leaking and naked halfway down their bodies, her legs wrapped around him. No way in the world he could have let her leave like this, not even the whole God damned world was on fire,

“Rachel?? You okay? Shall I call the security?” was Tanya’s voice,

“N--No! I am fine! I--- Will be out in a minute!” Rachel blurted out uneasily,

“Fuck off all of you! We need a little privacy here!” yelled Zoro,

‘What the ….?????’ Rachel narrowed eyes on Zoro, giggles were heard and a grunt too, Rachel was sure it was Sarah, she did not like Zoro, she, in particular, hated him so much, but all the others from the group like him just fine.

“Okay! Mr. Grumpy! We leave her to you! Make sure she eats something! She is been hungry for a while now!” It was Alice now,

Giggles and whispers won’t just stop,

‘Go away already!’ Rachel felt embarrassed and shy.

“Okay! Get going then! I need some quality time with Ray!” demanded the man, girls burst into laughter but started walking away none the less,

“What’s their deal?”

Rachel rolled her eyes at him,

“Would you finish what you started?”

“I very much intend to, babe!” smirked Zoro thrusting in,

:: It has always been like this, Zoro would show up out of the blue, anywhere, anytime; he would want Rachel badly, he would have her the way he wanted, spend some days with her, mostly at her place; would buy her things, take her on dates, would make lot of love to her and then he was gone again. Gone like he never existed; never would he call, not a letter, never an e-mail, nothing at all. No matter how long he was gone, when he did come back, he was always welcomed like he never left. Zoro also did not know why and how this unusual thing started between the two of them but he had got addicted to it, she never asked him why he kept doing this, never insisted him to call her or have a relationship with her, he found her very interesting and attractive. No matter wherever he went, Zoro would always come back, this thing between them was a frenzy he had been caught up in, never to recover, or at least not till date………..::

“There! Baby! You feel good don’t you!”

“Z----Zooooroo!”

“Baby, you feel so good inside, you still sucking me in! Look how deep I am inside!”

“Aaah!”

Hips slapped against hers, hitting her good spot again and again,

“Haah! Haah!” panted Rachel breathlessly,

“Ray! I am close! I want you to come with me!”

“Zoro! I mi---“

She did not complete the sentence she wanted to speak, nor did her expressions change, Zoro paused a little,

_‘I missed you Zoro! I missed you a lot!’_

“What is it babe? You hurt?”

“N—no!”

“I am sorry for this, I know I am being harsh! I will make it up to you! I promise!”

Rachel nodded and hauled him close for a kiss, it turned sloppy, he started thrusting even with greater force, her walls tightened around his shaft, she left his lips breathed harshly trying to keep her sanity,

“Come for me babe!”

“Hey!” he kissed her chin and licked her neck as he made her look at him,

“I want you to come on me baby! I am gonna lift you up Okay!” whisper demanded Zoro in her ear,

He lifted her all together, took her weight off the wall, slammed her hard on his cock gripping her by waist, Rachel threw her head back arching her back in euphoric sensation,

Wetting his hips and thighs, Rachel shot hard on his shaft as Zoro spurted his liquid inside her, Zoro’s seed also coming down along with hers from her entrance, her ass dripping off the white liquid all over the clothes, coming down on his legs, he finally messed the clothes up exactly like she said he would. She heaved for breath and put her head on his shoulders,

“You okay?”

“Yeah! I am fine!”

“Now I feel good!”                          

“Impatient Jerk! Now---now what the hell do we do?” asked her looking at ruined clothes.

“I will take care of that!”

Rachel was not ready to let go of him, she was dead tired but wanted to keep feeling him inside her, her grip was not tight but she did not unwrap her legs off him.

Zoro didn’t want to pull out either but Rachel did not look like she was going to last if he had her again.

“You sure you okay, you skinny brat?” Zoro put her on stool, grabbed her jeans, took out her things from it and pocketed underwear, threw the jeans in the trashcan,

“Yeah! I am just dead tired! And who are you calling brat? I am 26!”

“Still younger than me!” He did same with his clothes taking out his cellphone and wallet, then grabbed a cloth to hide his groin as he wrapped it up around his waist, he peeked out from door a little to look around, nobody was nearby, he looked back at her, smirked a little,

“Just by a month!” Zoro went and quickly came back with a jeans in his hand, he put it on, Rachael gave an approval nodding that he looked good,

“Wanna grab a bite?”                                                                                                                                          

“I want to get clothed first!” her demands were often practical, far too easy to be called as demands actually, he was realistic too; but when he wanted her, he wanted her, that’s it!

Rachel heard him snort,

“Hey! Did you bring your car?”

“Nah!” Zoro smirked as he pulled up his pants,

“Good that you didn’t, I am crashing at yours and I am driving us home!”

“Cool!”

Zoro saw her smile like she always did when he referred her place as ‘home’, when said those words ‘I am crashing at yours’………..

“You wait here babe, I will get you some clothes!” Zoro wiped clean the sweat on her temple and planted a kiss,

“Hmm, hurry!” Ray leaned on the wall behind her, saw him get out locking door shut behind him, it was lucky that nobody was around.


	2. Domestic?????

“Hey! Zoro, wake up!”

“Naah! Don’t move, you are disturbing my sleep!” Zoro’s mumble resonated through Rachel’s back which made her growl,

“Let me go, at least!” moved Ray to take his face off her back, she tried to move his hand draped over her,

“Stay!” Zoro crushed her in his chest, moved so as to block out the light and hid his face in her neck again,

“But I am hungry, Zoro!!” Her whine made him sigh, he turned her on her back, made her look at him,

“hmm….Let’s go out then!” his hand on her back stoked it gently,

“Yeah?” Ray sounded a little skeptical,

“Eustass found a good place yesterday, says it has the best sushi he has ever tasted! I want to take you there!”

“Cool, we really need a brunch! Can’t wait! Get up man, I am really hungry!” Ray sat up, pulled her hair into a messy bun,

“Okay! Okay! But before that come here for a sec!” Zoro grabbed her and yanked her down on his chest,

“Uuuumrgh!! Zoro! ………………” her protest was childish, he pushed her into the bed and attacked her neck, His hand went to her waist, then hips,

“Hey!!! Zoro?? Wait!” Zoro sneaked his hand into her panties, groping her bottom, another hand on her hip,

“You have been at it all night long, st---- stop groping me already! Aaaah!!! Haven’t you had enough yet!” smirked Ray enjoying sinful pleasure, he smirked at her comment, licked his lips and started kissing her again,

“Not even……….. close! I have to…………….. make up for the whole two months----- I have been----away from you!” said Zoro between the kisses, Ray put her palms on his shoulders and pushed him back,

“Like you haven’t groped anybody else while you were gone!”

“Looks like someone is jealous!” grinned Zoro mischievously,

“You wish, Greeny! You think you can get me jealous! Don’t make me laugh!”

Zoro snorted as he nosed her neck and kissed it,

“Yeah? You have had better man than me? Is that what you are saying?”

“Of course!” shrugged Ray,

“Now you are just teasing me!” Zoro took out his hand from her underwear and pulled it down, to reveal her womanhood,

“Zoro! N—No!! Aaaaargh! Don’t! Not now!”

“Just a quick one!” she scrunched her nose for a moment and made angry face, used her palms to push him back,

“No!! Back off you brute! I am starving!!” 

Zoro got off of her, pulled her up as well,

“Okay! Let get you something to eat!”

Ray hopped off the bed, pulled her underwear in its place and put Zoro’s wrinkled white shirt on. Ray glanced back over her shoulder to see that Zoro was really up now, he threw away blanket, stood up stretched his body yawning himself to tears and just took off, she chewed on her bottom lip looking at his bare form,

“Hey! Don’t roam around my house showing off your penis, put on briefs for God’s sake!” Zoro’s eyebrows twitched so did his cock,

“Oh Jesus! I just didn’t realize, okay! Here! Briefs!”

“Oi! Ray, I would have had my shirt too, but you look way better than me in that!”

“And I am keeping it, you didn’t have to rip mine off you know! I wasn’t exactly running anywhere!” Smiled Zoro secretly, at memories of amazing night they had,

:: Her life was divided into two parts, days with Zoro and the ones without him. He would emerge out of thin air; hit her life like a hurricane hitting a lonely boat in sea, stir up her small world with his mere presence. Not just the sex but everything with him was awesome and intense and all she ever did was to crave for more. It was Zoro and only Zoro in her life and nothing else when he was around, nobody would get to see Rachel, hardly get to talk to her. He occupied almost everything when he was around, Rachel was simply consumed a whole by Zoro’s influence; his presence around her, his words, his sound, his touch, his habits, his choices, his every little thing affected her in great way, not that he knew it but never did he noted it though.

Zoro never told her but he was a National secret service agent, his work was the very thing that barred him from being at a place for long. Zoro travelled the whole world, but when he got time, he couldn’t help but return to the city for her. Not that he was in a relationship with her or something but it was fun, he felt like home at hers, she knew how to make him feel good, she was an understanding woman, never complained about his things, got adjusted around him easily, plus he liked making love to her. ::

“It’s gross! How can you live with this??” Zoro’s comment made her eyebrow twitch,

“What is it?” Rachel rolled her eyes at his tone,

“We need a new toothbrush! If you have an extra, give me one!” was his yell, “I am gonna break this one!” whispered Zoro to himself making disgusted face,

“Even if I had one, you would be using mine, so I don’t keep an extra! What’s wrong with mine?” yelled Ray from the kitchen with mild surprise and amusement, sighed Zoro before speaking up,

“You know I hate this color, it reminds me of somebody I hate!”

“Okay! Okay! Are you 10? Act like a grown-up for once!”

“You shouldn’t be calling me a kid you know, you are sleeping with me for half a decade now!” She rolled her eyes again but blushed at his taunt.

“God! Just use it for now, we will shop few things on our way back! Geez!!”

While brushing his teeth, Zoro made his way to the kitchen, spotted Ray brewing coffee and making sandwiches, he leveled her with curious look, she simply shrugged pointing butter knife to her stomach, he nodded and went to open fridge to take out some avocados, he hardly found enough for two sandwiches, searched for some cheese to find the box nearly empty, he noticed whole fridge was nearly empty,

Zoro took supplies, put them on kitchen counter, went to bathroom to clean his mouth. He came back to find Rachel with her lips around the knife balanced between her lips and she was cleaning her hands off something.

Zoro’s white shirt was showing off half of her sexy torso, her black underwear giving out curve of her ass, her bare thighs and slender legs, her messy blond hair bun and that knife in her mouth, she looked so damned sexy, she bent down to pick up a newspaper and light beam coming through the window highlighted her features even more making the shirt transparent as they illuminated her body, making her hair glow golden, her skin shine with radiance, that was beauty Zoro never found anywhere,

She stood straight and cocked her head at something on the paper, the knot somehow undid itself and her hair came falling down her shoulders making his member twitch in his briefs, he gave a long held breath and closed his eye shaking his head violently. She didn’t notice his reaction while she took the knife out, brushing the cheese on her tongue and put it in sink.

He smirked and walked over to Ray, his hands went to her waist when Zoro leaned in her, kissing her neck on purple hickey he had created,

“You sure are back in good mood!!”

“Hmm!” Zoro leaned in some more, put his head leaning on hers, her long blonde hair tickled him,

“What’s up big guy?” Rachel gave his head a gentle nudge with her own,

“Sleepy!!” purred Zoro coiling his hands around her waist and sighing,

“That, darling, you always are! How come you are not hungry? It’s past 11!”

“I woke up in night, rather it was early morning, had some beer and leftovers from yesterday!”

Rachel moved her neck to look at him, he was looking away from her as he played with the shirt she was wearing,

‘I had such a strange dream, Ray was pregnant and ….. I should not be telling her that though, she might not like it or maybe she would just laugh it off like I did after I woke up!’ Zoro thought as he moved his palm on her stomach,

“Still having those sleeping problems?”

“Um-hmm! I was dead tired yet I woke up!” Zoro sneaked other hand inside the shirt, rested both his palms on her belly; his touch was surprisingly calm unlike his impatient ones,

“Yeah! Anybody would be after what we did last night! I don’t even remember you cleaning the mess up, I was asleep before I could kiss you the night!!”

“I know, I was quite harsh yesterday, I asked you twice, if you were okay but you fell asleep within seconds. Sorry Rach..!”

Rachel put her palm on his face, patting his cheek gently making him stop talking,

“That’s not the point! I am asking about your sleep! Where’d it go? Wanna talk about it?”

“Naah! It will go away like last time!”

“It won’t, because it didn’t go, you are still having it. Zoro, you should go and see a doctor!”

“I guess, I will!” His whisper did not sound like he was going to go to see any doctor,

“Zoro, ….I ha---“

“C’mon, let’s eat, you are hungry! Remember that?”  Zoro picked her with his single hand and picked the plate up in the second, he asked her to pick up the coffee mugs and walked to living.

:: Zoro had a goal, to be the best swordsman in the whole world, he knew that was quite outdated but he was passionate about the swords. Ray knew it, she had helped him buy one of the rare swords, she liked it when he practiced his swordplay. He took her to dojo too, she liked it there and he was happy about it. The work he had been doing for the government wasn’t going well these days, he never wanted to overdo the things that they made him do, he had never thought he would have to do something he absolutely hated doing, that weighed his mind down which caused his sleeping problems. He knew he couldn’t share his thoughts with Rachel, they never talked about his work, she never asked and that’s how it was since the start. ::

Zoro set the plate on the coffee table, took mugs from her hand to set them too and sat with Ray balanced on his lap, she got off but her legs still were on his thighs, he offered her a  sandwich and took coffee mug for himself,

“You ain’t eating?”

“I am, want to have coffee first! I love when you make it!” he said groping and probing her calf, giving her an amused glance as she narrowed her eyes on him,

“Quit it already!!” Ray tried to take her legs off him but she obviously couldn’t and she actually didn’t want to,

“We need to go to the convenience store! Umm, it’s around next block! I can go on my own if you find it boring!” 

“Yeah? I wanna tag along plus you need a good deal of supplies, how are you gonna carry it. Your fridge is empty! Haven’t you had enough money lately!” said Zoro putting his weight on her skinny shoulder as he leaned his head on it.

Zoro’s casual question made her look away, she bit on her sandwich and nodded at him,

“Ray I wan..” He felt bad that she felt embarrassed at his question, she knew he didn’t mean it as an affront but…….

“Umm, yeah! I am running low on supplies and yes, I had a little problem but I am all set now! Don’t worry!” shrugged Ray a little,

“Hey! I will help you with that!”

“Relax! I have got this!”

“C’mon, let me help! I ruin your every budget and every plan. I have all this money, I don’t even know what to do with it!”

“Don’t start that again okay!”  Ray pinched his ear and pulled it which she thought was painful, but not a line on his face moved. She sighed at the stubborn man and let go of her grip, he smirked and closed his eyes putting her hand on his head, she knew he wanted her to run her hands through his hair,

“You should have slept like a baby, I mean you used to, what happened? Don’t you think you should see a doctor? I am really worried!”

“I will, don’t worry about me!”

Still the same, he didn’t sound like he would really do that, Ray knew by now how he did things and the way he spoke about things he was serious about,

“I have a friend, he is really good at what he does, if you want I can ask him to come over!”

“To check me up? No thanks!” Zoro put his half empty coffee mug on table and slid down to put his back on couch and his head in her lap, she had few breadcrumbs on her chin, Zoro took them to his mouth before she tried to swat his hand away,

“Zoro, he is good friend, I trust him, just let’s give this a shot!”  She fisted his hair and made him look at her,

“Good friend hun? So, you two dating?” Zoro sounded casual but he nosed into her shirt so as to hide his cocky smirk,

“Sorry, did you say something?” smirked Rachel, Zoro knew she wouldn’t answer,

“Is he handsome?”

“Sorry, did you say something?”

“So, a doctor hun? I bet he is not hunky!!”

“Sorry, did you say something?” shrugged Ray again,

“You can have mine if you are still hungry! I just want one bite!”

“Sit up and eat your breakfast! And pass me that mug, would ya!”

Zoro sat up offering her a mug, they drank coffee in silence for few minutes,

“I met this girl on my last visit to Berlin, Astrid, just 19……. 5 feet 4….. little bigger than you but really cute, red head, brown eyes, a student, she is going to be a doctor too!”

“Yeah? Cool!! Doctor? Like a surgeon or something?”

“Didn’t get time to ask actually, I met her in a bar of hotel I was staying at and It happened fast, like so fast. But I saw her bag and that white apron, she told me that she was attending school before we, you know___”  Zoro trailed off smirking and Ray snorted before she shook her head,

“You had good time with her! After all, you do remember her!!” smirked Ray,

Zoro recalling his one nightstands was a rare thing,

“Yeah, I did…….. but something was missing, I can’t put my finger on it, I felt odd,  I just don’t know, man! I mean, she was a beautiful healthy girl, much younger than us, felt so full of life and happy. I was out of the room in like twenty minutes, 25 at the max, I don’t know! She kissed me on my way back as she tried to stop me and Dude!! She proposed me! Can you believe that?”

“Whoa! Whoa! That’s huge! So, what did you say? You didn’t hurt her, did you?”

“What? Why would I? I told her, I can’t accept it and walked away of course!”

“Idiot!”

“What choice do I have?”

“Say Yes if you really like somebody, you moron!!” Ray smacked her hand on his head and hissed herself at pain in her hand, he chuckled,

“But I didn’t like her. I mean I did, I want to say is I didn’t like her like that!! You know what I mean don’t you?”

“I do! Don’t worry, when time comes, you will know, I guess! Or that’s what my gra’maa says!!”

“I don’t believe in that shit! We have to choose what’s better for us, look into all our options, there is no such thing as love!”

“Well, I don’t know what to say!” shrugged Ray avoiding to look at him but he smiled and put his empty coffee mug on table,

“Well, tell me why she proposed me? I just can’t fucking believe it!”

“Let me see!” Ray hooked finger below Zoro’s chin, tilted his head a little, narrowed her eyes on him as if inspecting and observing, then she smiled mischievously,

“Well, you definitely would be a good catch Mr. Roronoa! There can be only one explanation to this, and that is ‘she is in love with you!’”

He broke into laughter, so did she,

“I don’t know Zoro! May be she knew you would say ‘no’ all along!”

“Yeah?”

“Humm! I don’t know. Can’t really tell!”  Smirked Ray emptying her coffee mug,

“Why? Haven’t you fallen in love yet, little missy??” Zoro leaned in and claimed her lips in a passionate kiss, he stretched his arm to put her mug on the table. Brought his hand on back of her head, hauled her to him, his hand slipped in her shirt. She tasted avocados and coffee, she smelled like him, his cologne was all over her.

Her phone gave a shrill noise, then it kept ringing and ringing, but they were too busy to get up,

“You have reached Reynolds’s residence, please leave your message after the beep! *Beep *__”

“Hi there darling!! If you are there, which I know you in fact are, just pick up the call. Trust me you want to hear what I have to say!____---------

 


	3. Complication

“Why? Haven’t you fallen in love yet, little missy??” Zoro leaned in and claimed her lips in a passionate kiss, he stretched his arm to put her mug on the table. Brought his hand on the back of her head, hauled her to him, his hand slipped inside her t-shirt. She tasted avocadoes and coffee, she smelled like him, his cologne was all over her.

The phone hanging off the wall gave a shrill noise, then it kept ringing and ringing, but they were too busy to get up,

“You have reached Reynolds’s residence, please leave your message after the beep! *Beep *__”

“Hi there darling!! If you are there, which I know you in fact are, just pick up the call. Trust me you want to hear what I have to say!____---------

“I know you are there sweetheart! Pick up!”

That…….. snapped Zoro out, he pulled back from her to focus on voice on phone arching his eyebrow,

“Rachel, please. It’s important! We need to talk!”

Ray was shocked to hear that voice, she hurriedly got up, pushed Zoro back a little, ran to phone hanging off the wall but Zoro hurried after her, he held her back to put phone on speaker,

“Hey!!” whisper yelled Ray as she glared at him, but voice on phone diverted her attention,

“Good morning sunshine!!”

“Morning! You calling on weekend morning? What is it?” chirped Ray, HE could sense happiness in her voice,

That was new for Zoro, he had heard the man referring Rachel intimately, though Zoro could tell Ray hadn’t noticed it yet, Zoro found the guy on phone had a deep manly voice and he sounded like he was very fond of her,

“Well, you sound good today! What a relief!!” Zoro cocked his head at the tone of man’s voice and smirked teasingly at her, she nudged him with elbow and mouthed ‘back off’, the guy on phone sounded genuinely relived hearing Ray talk, like he actually cared for her,

“Wh--What you mean?”

“Well, you sounded so gloomy and tired day before yesterday and you have been a little off for last few days! It was hard you see you like that! I can picture you smiling now, I bet you are, it’s there in your voice. Whoever brought back that smile back on your face, is really very lucky!!” Ray blinked at the reply,

Zoro rolled his eyes at the flirty comment suppressing his laughter, what Zoro didn’t know that it wasn’t flirty at all, HE really meant when he said that. Ray blushed ever so slightly and looked away from phone,

Zoro tightened his arms around her and made her look at him. She struggled against his grip, blushed even more hearing the guy speak more,

“I was really worried, well, it’s good that you are back being yourself, you really need to give it all you have got and I wanted you at your best if you ever wanted to pull this off!!”

Zoro mouthed ‘Wow!’ and held back her hand trying to pick the receiver,

“Hey!!”

“Anyways, I knew that you were there. Now let’s talk some business, look I found you a buyer which could very well be your last chance for your project and you can you can use me as your specimen all you like, I got that paper ready for you and your work now can be admired by all people in the world. So, looks like we are back in business. Its Japanese company, they liked what you have done till date Rachel, they liked your work.” She was smiling, like smiling really wide, tears of joy welled up in her ears, she had stopped pulling against Zoro’s grip,

Zoro supported her lithe frame, he was happy that Ray was smiling but ‘What the hell is this?’ was all he could think of,

“Oh god! Thanks!! Thank you very much, very very much! Ace, really you are a life saver! I really don’t know what to do!” exclaimed Rachel in weak voice, Zoro narrowed his eyes on phone as she mentioned his name,

“There, I knew that could lift up your spirit. Now, you will work as you always do and you will love to come to the lab again right?

“Yeah. Ace, how did you do it?”

“Sheer Dumb luck!”

“Luck has no business in my work! Now tell me what you did!”

“You remember what I told you about my old man? He is really important person, he gave me an important link, I tried my luck, I had some data from what we have worked together on, I explained it to them, they wanted to know more, I tried calling you yesterday, neither did you pick up your cell, nor were you at home, I had my friend come by at yours but we had no luck finding you. I finally asked the Boss. He gave me the papers and voila!!” Ray was embarrassed for some reason Zoro could not make out what for,

“God! How am I gonna thank you for that? You stuck your neck out for me and I was just goofing off and wasting time sulking around!” Ray sighed going limp to relax in Zoro’s embrace.

“We will see about that later, you just keep that smile. First thing you need to know is, ‘Because they would have wanted you to’, I told them you are appearing for the DFPRE and then your project would be Vegapunk certified’, so have to do the rest of your work before they visit states! And they were…”

Ray jolted up like she had been hit by something, her fingers curled into fists and her eyes fired up,

“You what?? Are you insane?” Zoro couldn’t guess what was all that about,

“You have to take some risks!” was a laidback and cheeky voice form other side of phone,

“Not that kind of risk! What if it doesn’t work? DFPRE is no joke, plus Vegapunk labs have already denied it twice. I won’t be able to make him even agree to hear out my request!”

“That was what they wanted, I am sorry but you have to make it do! We will think about something, something like buying a new system, finding a new guy with some po…”

“I can’t!”

“Actually you can, you have a sponsor and he wants to observe all the stages and test executed, personally!”

“How did you___?”

“Well, I showed them your file, you have been outstanding throughout your records! You are amazing and so is your work! They know it’s an investment! Further to that, you can sell the paper for extra cent after you launch the project. So you can take handsome sum as a loan!”

“I can’t, I won’t, I will manag__”

“Well, how will you? Because unless it’s the house this time, I don’t think you have another car to sell!”

That was it, Zoro could not believe his ears,

“Aceee!!” chastised Ray, Zoro pulled out from Ray, took a step back to look at her, she looked troubled, her face tense, eyebrows drawn into scowl, looking away from Zoro’s questioning gaze,

“Face the truth Rachel, you don’t have that kind of money! You don’t take what I lend you, so be it! You will learn it the hard way! So, back to work Miss Reynolds, you have hell lot of work to do.” She knew that Ace was smiling the way he talked but she couldn’t smile now, she knew Zoro didn’t like what he had heard,

“Why are you doing this for me?”

“What you mean? You helped me when I was in deep shit! I am simply returning the favor!”

“That was different!”

“No, it’s the same, I am in it for money too! Standard 2%, I brought you a link after all.”

“That’s way too less!” rebuked Ray,

“If you let me help with the project, it’s standard 8% and if you take my money, 15% and no less. See! No injustice!” she could picture Ace flashing his trademark toothy smile, his eyes closed and that hand on that old orange hat of his,

“Ray, all that is important is for you to move on, you can’t be stuck at one place, you have long way to go, try and relax. It’s gonna be fine! I know you would be doing great!”

She sighed and closed her eyes, that voice made her go relax again,

“Ace! I don’t know what to say!” a slight smile played on her lips,

“Well, think about it for today or rather sleep on it, we will talk tomorrow at the lab.” Was the suggestion,

“Thanks. I will, thank you very much.”

“So if you are free, would you like to join me for a drink in the evening? Just a small one!” Ace’s voice was uneasy, not like the way he sounded a second back, Zoro snapped his head at phone,  then looked at Ray for reaction, her brows were knitted into scowl,

“____”

“It’s okay! Don’t answer! Sorry about that! Anyway…….. Don’t overthink, okay? Bye now! Take care!” Ace literally sounded sad.

“Bye Ace!”  Ray sighed and closed her eyes again.

:: Zoro and Ray, they actually didn’t meddle into each other’s affairs, never talk about their work. Zoro never gave her suggestions on how she should do things though he personally did not like what she did, sometimes it annoyed him to no end but it was none of his business, never did she give him a hard time for his sudden appearances. They simply kept it isolated, all these years it was simple ignorance, most important thing was that they would find comfort in each other.

When last time he checked, he noticed that they hadn’t fought, not even once, since they started seeing each other more frequently. Rachel, like all the girls Zoro knew, was none other than one of his one-nightstands, but she had grown special to him now, he had forgotten that fact as the time passed by. It was his rule, never to contact and never to acknowledge his one-nightstands, never; but fate had made them cross the paths once again after that one night stand, and then again and again, he got addicted to her, that rule of his had a beautiful exception and it was Rachel. She knew that very well, she knew that every time Zoro left, could be his last time visiting her. She tried to enjoy every last moment they spent together because…………… ::

“Hey!! Ray!! Ray!”

“Ray??? What is it? Babe look at me!!”

Ray shot her head up, looking at him, bewildered,

“Ray!! What the hell? You okay??”

“Don’t yell, I am okay, just a little rattled!” Ray closed her eyes, gave out a long breath,

“You sold your Chevy??”

“Um…yeah!”

“I don’t believe it! She was really nice, I loved her. Plus you said you had a connection with it, you felt very possessive of her, then how in the world yo..”

“Yeah, I loved her too!” Ray was massaging her temple, Zoro sighed and took her hand away from her forehead, he took a step nearer to her and hugged her firmly,

“It’s bad that you had to sell it; if you are still in contact with them, you want me to buy it back? I could keep it, you can pay me and take it back, that way you won’t lose it!”

“You don’t need to do that!”

“I know but I want to. Plus, it’s a nice investment. I would get to use it all I want and if you end up being broke I would be her owner!” She knew he was kidding, he never would have used it but kept it for her none the less.

“I will think about that!!”

“Ray, I shouldn’t be asking but what you did with all that money?”

“You are right, you shouldn’t be asking!!” Ray’s whisper was so cold and hoarse, Zoro was little put off, he didn’t know, if he did overstep his boundaries asking Ray of such a thing,

‘I wish I could help, I wish I could push a little more, wish I could demand that too!’

:: Zoro hardly ever came across the troubles that were in her life, what she let him in on was only her home, her body, never her mind. They spent days enjoying each other’s presence, never she let him in on any problem she might have had faced. He sometimes told her few things about his odd job which disturbed him, his problems, she would try to sound objective and unaffected by his problems but she always did try to find solution to his ones, never sharing her problems. Not that he never noted it, but he never insisted on getting to the bottom of them. Zoro knew, she had to do it herself, he wouldn’t be there every time she had a problem. ::

“Ray??” Zoro kept his hand around her, moved the other so that he could run though her hair. Her head was lovingly put on his chest so that her cheek would be on his chest. She appeared to be thinking very hard about something he did not know, though he could guess what it was.

“Yeah?” whispered Ray,

“We are friends, right?”

“I guess we are.”

“So, when I am here, with you, can you take my help when I am offering, let me do something for you. I want to, I really do. I know, when you face problems I am not going to be there always but when I am, why don’t you just let me handle it sometimes?”

“I have to do it alone. We are not discussing it!”

“Okay, so, let’s head to bedroom again? I will have a nap, you think about your project or whatever or read some books as you love to do, then we can go to that convenience store you were telling me about!”

“Okay!” Zoro picked her up and walked to bedroom.

:: Zoro made her forget that awkward conversation soon when he had her held under him, captured in his warmth, plastered to his body, both under covers again, hidden from the world, away from all the troubles and problems, so close to each other. He kissed her pain away, almost having her melting in his passionate kisses. He knew he could get a call any minute and he could have to leave her, never to know when would he make it back to her. Never he asked himself if he missed being with her, he knew he can’t afford such a luxury, plus he could get any girl for the night if he felt the need to relive his tension, it was not practically possible for him to be stationed in the city, unless of course he stopped doing what he was, quitting the agency which he couldn’t, and why would he, it wasn’t the need, now was it? It was just matter of pleasure and he could buy it whenever he wanted or at least he had thought so…………::

Ray was smiling slightly, looking at the ceiling, she felt calm for a change. Her skin tickled with his short cropped green hair as Zoro moved a little to adjust his head on her bosom. She put her hand on his head, mindlessly caressing his scalp she kept thinking about her project and Ace’s proposal. Within minutes, Zoro was asleep again, his weight on her pinned her to bed, his head on her chest, hands around her waist, both dug in halfway through the plush bed. Ray couldn’t sleep, after some thinking, she sighed and closed her eyes, something made her open her eyes, small vibration somewhere near her, she followed it with her hand, found her cellphone.

There were many missed calls and texts for her, mostly it was Ace and her friends some were the unknown numbers.

 _‘I am sorry for today!’_ Ray hit the send to text Ace.

 _‘Hey, it’s okay. Dnt wrry much! Its nice dat u r texting, finally I ll brag about it to my frnds!’_ was the reply within seconds.

_‘You are too nice to me. Its nice to ask ‘how was our day!’ to a person like me. But why you do that Ace? You know I don’t like cellphones’_

_‘If u r bothered by it honey, u cn always delete my ramblings!’_

_‘I didn’t say that, I like it’._

_‘Oh! Good then!’_

_‘No, I didn’t mean it that way!’_

_‘Really nw?’_

_‘I mean, you text me and I see it after few days, it’s such a waste!’_

_‘Nthin s a waste love!’_

_‘Don’t call me that!’_

_‘luk, I hv been texting u & finlly got u to text back, didn’t I, so it was never a waste!’_

_‘I don’t know what am I going to do with you! Bye Ace!’_

_‘Bye Rachael! TC!’_

Rachael sighed, she closed her eyes, she could feel Zoro’s heartbeat on her stomach, her eyes opened again, her gaze fell on his face, his bare body resting on hers. She liked the way he held her. Her hand went to his face, leaving feather touches she traced his face with her fingers, her eyes felt heavy after minutes of observation of his handsome features, she kept staring at him for an hour,

“You like me very much, don’t you?” asked Zoro,

“Yeah, I told you, you would be a nice catch!”

“So are you Ray!!”

“Yeah?”

That made Zoro sputter a little,

“At least, that Ace guy thinks that way! Tell me, haven’t you figured it out yet, he has a huge thing for you!”

“I know.”

“What’s that?”

“Zoro, we work together and he is perfect gentleman, very trustworthy and talented. I cant tell you much about his profession but yes, he is one of nation’s best and the brightest.”

“Whoa- whoa! Was this the same guy you were telling me about earlier? The doctor?”

“No!!” Ray shrugged,

“Oh! I see, so have a thing for him too!!”

“I don’t see how could you conclude that?”

“I just know now!”

“Whatever!” shrugged Ray never actually answering,

Zoro smirked at her ‘shrugging’….

 


	4. The incident at the Casino

 

‘It’s Zoro, he is on my mind, my head, all over my body. My skin…….it smells like him, I feel his presence on me, it’s growing, each day we spend together………. this thing, inside me, is growing……beyond my control; sometimes it just scares the shit out of me that it would break me one day and I will drive him away and that will kill m………………………………………………………………………………………………….No, Shut up! Wow! I am talking to myself, so, it’s already driven me nuts………….. Shit……… I feel drunk, this is making me insane then why I am still thinking about it. Huh! This guy, why he always comes back like this, like he has to, like he wants to. But both of us know, he only does what he wants and what he can do it, it doesn’t even register on emotional level, rather it should not, right Zoro? It never has, has it? I know, I am grinning like mad girl, watching you sleep in my arms. Idiot! Sleeps like a baby, literally drooling over me. He! He! He! Still, I really do like to watch him sleep, looks so innocent, how cute! Air smells like Zoro, yes, it does! Shit, I am still wet from hours back, still tired, very sleepy and yet I just don’t get enough of him.’

Rachel took a long breath and exhaled quietly, smiled a little and got herself out of Zoro’s grip. Sitting on edge of bed, she ran her hand through Zoro’s soft green short cropped hair, smiled again as she watched him feel comfort in it in his sleep. She stretched her hands and her back, stood up and looked at the watch, it read 6 pm.

She couldn’t believe they spent these many hours just at home, Zoro always wanted to roam around city, taking her with him, they visited places Ray would otherwise wont visit on her own, sometimes they would go on beach and spend whole day in a hotel enjoying each other, watch movies, have drinks, swimming, beach romance and all the creature comforts of the place. This time, all they did was the enormous chatting and finally ended up having sex third time since the time at the mall when Zoro appeared out of the blue.

She went to the kitchen wrapping a towel around her body, drank some water and came back again, took her bath coat and went to the bathroom,

::

Ray had closed eyes as water sprinkled on her tired body, she gave a tried sigh, felt water soothing the troubled mind somehow, she hugged herself tightly as if not wanting that feel to go,

‘Like it’s washing over, I don’t want his scent to go! I should not be using the gel I suppose.’ 

“It’s a crime punishable by a kiss!!”  

Ray jumped a little at Zoro’s sudden sound but then smiled,

Ray turned her neck to spot Zoro leaning on doorframe, smirking at her,

“Did I wake you up? Sorry!” Zoro came walking in, discarded his briefs, hugged her from behind,

“You know what I am talking about babe! Having shower without me?” 

And once again, those mighty hands wrapped around her, she sighed again and put her head on his chest, her eyes relaxed so did her body,

“Hey! What’s wrong?”

“I feel so good! This water is making me dizzy!”

“Didn’t you sleep?”

“I did a little..”

“What you did then, just kept staring at ceiling, I could feel you under me all the time, you were in bed but you were awake?”

“Naah! I had a good nap!”

“You have lost weight, you were fuller than this!”

“And you noted it now?”

Zoro placed kisses on her neck, her shoulder as he enjoyed the sprinkling water on his head, he kissed her back, she hummed and tiptoed in excitation, his lips kissing the flawless skin of her back producing lovely blush on her cheeks and that tongue oh! His feel on her skin was amazing, nipping and lapping as he went , his hands massaged her boobs then they went down caressing her ribs, her belly, her waist till he was on knees, his fingers caressing her ass cheeks,

“Ray, you should take little more care of yourself, you know?”  

Ray felt lips on her ass, his hands left light tingly touches on soft mass, her face went beet red, she hugged herself trying to contain the excitement, her toes curling in making it difficult for her to stand, her legs became shaky,

“Zoro, wh----what are you doing?”

He looped his arm around her legs, held her trembling form securely  as kissed her bottom like it was most precious thing to him,

“Zoro!” whispered Ray, her brows knitting in worry,

“I was too rough, marks are still there, Baby I am sorry for hurting you!”

He could see it, the red marks on her bottom, her skin was way too sensitive for anything like that, not that it didn’t hurt but that pain was pleasurable indeed.

“It was fun Zoro, don’t be sorry for few spanks and I like it when you hold me tightly. You did because I let you and I wanted you to!”

He caressed the soft swollen mass to sooth her, it wasn’t hurting much now but it looked like it did.

“It looks bad!”

“It’s not hurting, really, come here now!”

Ray tugged on his hands, he stood up made her turn back, she smiled at him and hugged him firmly, he picked her up in his hands avoiding touching her ass and kissed her passionately, she now had totally forgotten what she was thinking about , before she stepped inside the shower.

::

“So, where are we going?”

“It’s a Surprise, sexy!”

“You never stay at one place do you?”

“And you don’t go out much, do you?”

“I do!” her cute protest brought smile on his lips, his tux was making her mad, he looked so damn handsome in it, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

“Yeah? When was last time you went to Casino eh?”

“So, we are going to some sort of Casino?” She spurted,

“Okay smartass, we are going to Elixir –the mock town! Have you been there before?”

“Nope, it’s too far from here!”

“Hmm, but they serve best goddamned cocktails in the city and sake too!”

“Wow Zoro! You look pretty yummy!”

“Stop saying that or I am throwing you on bed and having you right now!” Zoro gave her a smirk,

 

“Hmm. Heard they have good music too!” She pulled her dress over her shoulders, sighed as she threw it on bed, back in her underwear she looked into her wardrobe for different dress again, it was third time she had done the thing, Zoro snorted at her and went to another room,

When he came back, she was looking back at herself in the mirror, over her shoulder to see how that backless dress fit,

“They do and I want you to wear something nicer than that!” Rachael sighed and started taking it off,

“This is one of my most favorite ones! What’s wrong with this?”

“Too much skin! People are going to attack you, I want to enjoy the drinks with you not keeping boys away from you!” Rachael smirked at his comment and dug her head in wardrobe again,

“Aww! That’s cute, so how about this one!” Rachael had a in her hand a white and pink one piece, she was looking in mirror again with dress draped over her chest, Zoro stood right behind her, took the one piece away and

“That would do! But this would look great!!” And there was it, a midnight blue wrap up jersey dress, hanging off a hanger in his hand, held in front of her,

It was indeed beautiful, not that he never bought her dresses and stuff, he often did; but that doesn’t mean she would not chew his head off for it,

“Zoro, it must have cost you a pretty good fortune, why the hell you..!!”

“You will look hot! Worth every penny I spent, now C’mon, get dressed!”

“Zoro!”

“No excuses. You don’t know how much trouble I went through to get you this, so you have to take it, now make it fast! I want to see you in it already!!” Zoro started dressing her messily,

“Okay, Okay! Geez! Gimmi a minute!”

:: Zoro was right though, she did hang out with her friends, but she preferred it to be at one of her friend’s place or her own rather than some public place, some bar or a restaurant. If not for shopping she insisted them to spent time at hers or Sarah’s. ::

Zoro had his arm around her waist as they went around the place, it had a charm and yes, she really looked very beautiful, everyman that passed by them definitely did glance back at her and Zoro noted that, he secretly smirked many times, feeling proud that he had such a beautiful girl with him and people were envious of him.

Long wavy blonde locks brilliantly falling over her chest, creamy white radiant skin, sparkling blue eyes, plum cherry lips, straight nose and high cheekbones, slender long arms and long fingers holding a wine glass..

“So, I was right after all, you look so gorgeous in that dress, you are making every head turn!!” 

That whisper brought a slight shy smile on her face, she gracefully nodded at him and put the half empty glass on counter. Her movements were graceful but she was downright nervous she also did not know what for……

“I need something different! This is gross!” 

Zoro smirked at her blush, took a glass from her hand and tried it,

“You are right, it’s boring; let get you something else!” and they walked to a bar,

::

Ray felt the warmth on her hand increasing, her hand held by Zoro’s got squeezed a little, she turned her head to look at him,

“Zoro?”

“I need to take this call, It may take a while, would you wait here?” Zoro had very serious and a little disturbing expressions on his face, Ray could tell it was important for him,

“Of course! I will be right here!”  her smile made him smile back, he nodded and left her hand kissing on it, before walking away.

Ray spent half hour trying to spot a similar face in the place, she was bored out of her mind and didn’t have anything to read too, she really could have used a buddy to talk to, but poor girl had no luck. Looking at her wandering eyes, a blonde man with scar on face came walking near her,

“Well, well, if it isn’t the most beautiful girl in the whole place. Why are you sitting alone?” was a gruff voice, Ray could sense his dirty mind from that comment itself, the way he said that. Ray was worried was an understatement, she did not want any trouble like this.

‘Oh God, such a nice place but it couldn’t keep scums like these people away hun? What do I do now? This looks bad!’ thought Ray,

“Oh! Thanks, I am just waiting for my friend. He wouldn’t be long!” Ray tried to smile but it wasn’t difficult to guess that she was damned scared of the man and his intensions. Man looked like he would eat her alive; short unkempt blond hair, tan skin, hunky physique, a scar above right eye, a dirty grin on his smug face,

“Don’t worry, I am here, no problem. Let us get friends too! I am Bellamy. It’s nice to meet you miss.” The blonde man took her hand and planted messy kiss on the back of her hand, she curbed the urge to squeak and call Zoro’s name out loud.

‘Yuk, a friend, like you! I would rather have no friend!!!’

‘Shit!! This is so gross, how dare he touch me? Ugly smug scar-face hyena!’ But Ray knew very well she couldn’t just outright curse the man who offered her a drink, he hadn’t done anything of bad sorts just yet but she could feel it, his bad intent, the way he ogled her, it was getting on her nerves……

“My name is Ray. I am not from around here.” She took her hand back, she had an urge to wipe clean her hand or run to bathroom and wash it properly but….

“Yeah, I can tell that, haven’t seen ya here before. So, howdcha’ like that place?”

“It’s amazing.”

“Hey, bartender, serve us some quality sake would ya!!”

“No, I am alright, please, I need to go to washroom anyways. It was nice talking to you Bellamy-san.”  She gave a slight nod and tried to escape from there as she hurried off her seat but she felt a forcefull grip on her wrist.

“Now, now! That’s just rude ya know! And I was trying to be a gentleman here! What a waste!”

“Please just let me go!”

“Why? I was just talking to ya! But you had to go ahead and insult my hospitality!”

“I did no such thing! Look I don’t want any problem here, just let me go okay?”

“You see that Sarkies! She doesn’t want any problem!”

Ray was now surrounded by four more men, behind her was the guy Bellamy,

“What? You can’t do that! Look, I haven’t done anything to you! Just leave me okay?” Ray noted all other people conveniently scooting away and turning back on everything happening in there, nobody even bothered to spare a glance at her pleading eyes,

‘What the hell is going on in here? Isn’t this the world famous ‘Mock-town’? Just a moment ago it was so full, now it’s like whole floor is empty? What is happening? Zoro, where are you?’ her eyes filled up with salty water,

“There, there missy. No need to cry and ruin the fun! I am not gonna hurt ya! All I am saying is ‘I like ya!’ I like ya a lot, join me and enjoy world’s best comforts!”

‘Do what now?’

“Welcome to the group Ray, don’t just let get to your head that you are Bellamy’s girl now and then we would get along just fine, I am Muret! Bellamy, you sure can be a good man sometimes!”

“What?” screamed Ray, she just couldn’t believe it,

A pink head, she gave Ray a weird smirk and tugged her arm in arm of the man named Sarkies,

“Yeah! Really, why do that for mere a little girl, com’on take her already. I don’t think she is getting any of this? Would you like me to explain her?” spat the guy name Sarkies,

“Don’t touch me! Stay away!”

“That is not going to work babe! Looking like that, you kept teasing me for far too long, where is that green head, I have been waiting for you guys to come to this floor! Look babe, I own the place and it’s been a while I spotted such a terrific beauty such as yourself so you might go ahead and scream all you want but ain’t nobody coming to your rescue, but if you quit resisting your beautiful body won’t get hurt, so do as I say ”

“No way in hell I would do that scar-face, how dare you do such things to a women, Stay away from me! I won’t agree to anything you say even if you tear me up and shred me into pieces!!”

“Oh! Feisty!! I see why I like you much!! Com’on guys, let’s get this done!”

“Stop right there! Stay away!!!” her angry yell was falling on deaf ears, her hands got pinned to wall, her legs were held by another man who was smirking dirtily at her,

“Wow! You are such a piece of work!”

“Fuck you!” spat Ray crying out loud,

“You are making this more fun!!”

“Let me go cowards!!”

Her resisting movements, hands tugging against their grip on her wrist and ankles made them hold her even more tightly, she was hurting but she was scared, she was angry at the men, she was sad for her situation.

Muret took a gag out and put it on her mouth, Ray couldn’t help but cry like helpless little girl now, her red eyes spilling salty water all over her cheeks,

“C’mon, Bellamy, have your treat already!! Don’t keep her waiting”

“Muuuurrghh!!!” she couldn’t talk, couldn’t yell, all her cries were some mumbling against the gag in her mouth,

Bellamy smirked wider and stuck his tongue out, giving her a dirty look, he licked his lips lustily walking closer to his pray,

‘This can’t be happening! No! Why? What the hell is going on in here? Am I really gonna get raped by this scum?’

She felt his face close, she closed her eyes in disgust, turned her neck to avoid his lips, her hair got fisted as she was forced to look at him

“Look at me babe! Com’on, don’t make it hard on yourself or you are gonna get hurt!! I don’t want to damage you much, you precious little thing!”

‘Is that it? Really?? I am gonna get violated like this? I want to die before he could touch me any more than this!! Just kill me please!!’

 

 

 


	5. Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray has an attempt of rape on her and somebody saves her, someone who is not Zoro...read to find out....

Bellamy smirked wider and stuck his tongue out, giving her a dirty look, he licked his lips lustily walking closer to his pray,

‘This can’t be happening! No! Why? What the hell is going on in here? Am I rally gonna get raped by this scum?’

Ray closed her eyes in the disgust. Feeling helpless,s she prayed for Zoro’s return, within moments Ray felt his face closer to hers,

“Hmmmrgh!!” cried Ray turning away her face to avoid his lips, she gave a pained whimper as her hair got fisted and she was forced to look at him,

“Now Now! Don’t go and avoid me! Look at me sweet little girl! Com’on, don’t make it hard on yourself; behave or you are gonna get hurt!! I don’t want to damage you much, you precious little thing!”

‘Is that it? Really, I am gonna get violated like this? I would rather die before he could touch me any more than this!! Just kill me please!!’

Bellamy leaned in to kiss her, his lips touched pale skin of her neck, he licked her skin and nibbled on her it as he forced aside hemline of her dress to reveal some skin, he bit her hard to create marks,

Ray wailed in pain and agony, she was disgusted with his mouth on her skin,

‘Stop, stop, stop touching me! Please just stop!’ screamed her inner voice, her tears wouldn’t stop, her body wouldn’t stop opposing this despicable assault on her integrity, she tried with all her might to break open the grip on her hands and her legs, but no use, they had got her captured for good,

“Nhhmgh!!!” wailed Ray against the gag, her situation was totally miserable and nobody stood up for her help,

 She felt his hands, those filthy hands moved to her waist then to her thighs, groping as they moved, he quickly made it to feel her skin inside her dress tearing the blue fabric apart, his other hand moved up, nearer to her boob. He gripped her waist tightly and his hand near her underwear tugged on waistline of smooth fabric. He pulled out from her neck.

“Fuck, you feel so good!! You skin is so smooth. I have marked you, you better be knowing what it means! You are mine!! I am gonna take you now and I have this feeling that I will do that quite a few times..” said Bellamy pinching fabric of her underwear in his fingers threatening to slide it down,

Ray shook her head violently, she felt his other hand on her shoulder, he pulled on her dress, it slid down from her shoulder, she shrank a little to keep it place on her chest,

“Strip her down already!!” spat Sarkies excited to see her naked, the wicked people…

Ray screamed wilder against the gag in her mouth and closed her eyes, her brain gave out, she felt wobbly, her crying made her eyes blurry, she could have noticed but she was far too tense, she was in pain and agony that she couldn’t….. there was a sound of glass cracking, metal clinking on another, few moments after the grip on her hands was loosened, Bellamy was yanked off of her, she heard a few shouts and curses, she also her someone calling her name, repeatedly but

‘What happened? What is going on!’ thought Ray and soon collapsed on ground, hit her head as she fell,  it started bleeding…

::

She struggled to open her eyes only to find two men fighting off too many, in a few minutes all of them were knocked down, they were out cold on the floor; she saw two men walking towards her. She didn’t even have enough strength to move her hands and feet so as to get away from them,

‘Who are these guys now? Just leave me alone already!!’ thought Ray,

‘Wait! Did they just save me?’

She couldn’t figure out who were those men, those who saved her from that horrible fate. She saw many others walking closer to where she was dropped on ground, her mind felt shattered, her confidence faltered, her frame fallen miserably on ground, battered clothes, gag in mouth, swollen face and baggy eyes.

Whispers, murmurs were irritating, people were gesturing weird things about the incident, she could sense their eyes fixed on her form, feeling pity and misery for her….

A guy came walking close to her, couched down near her form. Ray did not look up but withdrew a little back out of fear. The guy, he seemed nice, he helped her seat up properly, he pulled her dress up on her shoulder, clocked her with his jacket…Next second her gag was unclasped, he took out the item off her mouth. His hands were warm and soothing, she felt safe now, he brushed her blonde strands away from her face, something smooth was pressed against her head,

“Rachel? Hey!!”

‘Wait! I know that voice!’ her eyes went wide for a second then her face went sad again, eyes watered on their own accord,

“Rachel! Hay! Stop that, please, you are safe now!”

‘Ace! What is he doing here? Wait! So, it was him. He sa……… saved…………….he saved me!!’

“We need to get you to a hospital!! We have to go right now, okay? I am gonna help you stand up now, c’mon, here you go!”

Ace held her shoulders protectively, she was looking down at her feet, tears were streaming down her cheeks,

‘Man, this is so embarrassing!!’

“Here! Just a little longer and I am gonna get you home!”

Those words really felt amazing, Oh! Yes, she did want to go home,

“Yo, Marco! I need to go. You will have to handle everything in here!!”

“Sure! You go on ahead and do take care of her!!” Ace nodded at the blonde man, who was busy in tying the legs and hands of the men who attacked Ray.  Ray was held securely to Ace’s side, her head was on his shoulder, she couldn’t just bear the weight of her own body, she felt exhausted and nauseous,

“Rachel, talk to me…” asked Ace softly,

Marco noticed a man, very brawny and hunky, making his way towards them through the crowd, almost running towards them, Marco’s fingers curled in anger as he thought that more of Bellamy’s lot were coming,

\------------- ‘Ray is crying? I have never seen her cry---the fuck? What happened to her? Oh! No, her dress… Shit!  her hands, shit! I was too late! What the hell!!’ ---------------

“Ray? Ray? Holy shit!! What the hell is going on? Move!! Move damn it” Zoro pushed aside few bystanders,

That voice made her want to cry even more, she too did not know why was she feeling like that,

‘Zoro? How do I face him??’

She did not know why but Ray couldn’t bare the thought facing Zoro like that, she gripped Ace’s shirt and hid her face in it, Ace felt Ray going even more tense, Ace protectively put his arm around Ray and looked at Zoro with furrowed brows,

“Well, that’s far enough! Whoever you are, she needs to be taken into a hospital immediately, she’s hurt her head okay?” warned Ace,

Marco came walking near Ace,

“Ace, you take her to hospital, I will take care of him?”

“Look Blondie, she was with me not more half an hour back, I need to talk to her and nobody in  the whole fucking world can stop me from doing that!”  replied Zoro,

“It’s okay, he is my friend!” whispered Ray wiping clean her face and her eyes with the back of her hand. Ace and Marco exchanged a look and watched the green-head come close walking towards her, apparently he never stopped,

Ray was clinging to Ace’s hand, Ace was eyeing Zoro suspiciously, Zoro looked troubled, he immediately took in the whole situation, Ray had Ace’s shirt fisted in one hand, other hand gripped her own dress, she was looking away, avoiding Zoro’s gaze chewing on her lip looking totally embarrassed and uncomfortable, Ace was supporting her frame and was holding his handkerchief on her bleeding wound,

“Hmm! I guess it’s best for all of us to get her to the hospital first!” agreed Zoro,

“But I am gonna drive us there.” Demanded Ace,

“Whatever!”

Zoro turned to take a good look at the faces of men knocked down on ground, glared at Bellamy as if he knew who was the culprit behind the whole thing.

“Okay! Let’s hurry! I can tell you what happened later!!” growled Ace snapping Zoro out of it,

They started walking but the crowd made her very uncomfortable, their eyes on her made her want to throw up, new tears welled in her eyes, Ace felt her malaise and before she could stop him, he threw a glare at crowed as he yelled,

“Scram you bystanders! Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“Ace!!” whispered Ray looking at him with those tired big blue orbs, Ace’s scowl lessened at her voice,

“Rachel, shall I pick you up? Let me! Your legs are hurt!” 

Ray shook her head and tried to take her weight off him,

“Hey, d....don’t!! Stay!” Ace tried to make her listen to him but she was mulish as hell,

“I am okay, I am..”

“Quit it Stubborn-ass fool!” Zoro picked her up off her feet so quickly and so securely, she couldn’t even resist, she put her hand around his neck and looked away from both of them. Ace narrowed his eyes on him but didn’t say anything one way or the other, he pocketed his hands and kept walking. Ace noticed her reluctance but she didn’t protest verbally as she did with Ace, so Ace had to let that one go.

‘This guy! I hate him for some reason!!’ Ace thought knitting his eyebrows.

While walking her to the car, Zoro observed her wounds, the bruises on her wrists, teeth marks on her neck. His blood boiled with rage, he was gonna make them pay,

“Fucking cowards! Attacking a girl like that!” muttered Zoro under his breath,

Ray cringed at the memory but she forced tears stop inside her eyes, feeling embarrassed,

‘I am gonna cut them up and feed them to hounds!!”

 ‘Wait! But they already paid didn’t they? Ace and the Blondie, what’s was his name again, Aah! Marco, they did beat the shit out of them. Actually I should have had that chance, I wouldn’t have just knocked them down, I would have ripped off their faces and…wait, Right! None of this would have happened if I wouldn’t have been gone that long in the first place, I shouldn’t have left her alone, it’s all my fault. But she is all alone while I am gone, what then, what if something like this happens when I am not around? She should have learned some self-defense techniques, like I always wanted her to, stubborn girl! Never listens to single damned thing I say!!’ Zoro was so disturbed, unlike his usual self, he looked far too troubled than he could handle…..

‘He picked her up in one hand as if he is practiced to do it, she didn’t react …she didn’t feel a least bit uncomfortable to his touch as if she knew it all along. What is this guy to her, why she isn’t crying now? I bet she wants to, it’s written all over her face, why is she acting like that?’ Ace did not know what he was disturbed more for, the attack on Ray or the guy who seemed to be closer to Ray the way he could not be…

::

The silence was unbearable, there were thousands of things on Ray’s mind but she was quiet like a statue, Zoro didn’t actually figure out how he was feeling about the whole incident that happened, he just wanted to take her home and talk to her one on one, but he couln’t…not with all these people around; And Ace, well he didn’t want to leave her side at all, he too wanted to talk to her in private. But Ray, she was totally put off, she just stared at some point on the ground and just kept staring at it.

Ace wanted to do something to take all this off her mind, make her forget what happened though it was impossible but he at least wanted to sooth her but he didn’t know why she had shut herself off like that the moment she saw Zoro.

“I will take her home now! You can be on your way of you want to or tag along I don’t care!”

Zoro’s cocky comment made Ace narrow his eyes on him, he turned his head to look at Zoro, spotting him staring at Rachel,

‘This guy has some nerve!!’

“In a case you didn’t notice, she is my friend too and I too care about her! I want to talk to her, she is not gonna be okay, she had a rape attempt on her for God’s sake. Stay out of my way!”

Door of the room got banged open, snapped Ray out of her state and so did both bickering gents,

“Cut it out!!”

There was a very bossy girl; very curry, long wavy orange hair, big hazel eyes, almost looked like an angel in that white dress, like she was sent from heaven; Ace smiled at her but next second he couldn’t help but feel laughing his guts out when she was at Zoro’s throat, yelling in his ear making them bleed as she shrieked,

“Well, well, I am sorry for interruption!”

“No you are not!” spat Zoro,

“You are right, I am not, you have got some questions to answer!!”

“Yeah! Bring it on witch!!”

“Mind telling me how the hell this happened on your watch? What the hell you thinking carrying such a hot blonde bombshell around in the mock town”

Ray’s head shot up and Ace’s eyebrow twitched at her shrill voice and her devilish attitude but Zoro was as serene as ever, his eyes were closed, that scowl on his face deepened a little, he raised his eyebrow as if he had expected everything  that happened just now exactly the way it did,

“Look witch, I didn’t get into any fight!”

“Like hell you didn’t! I told you to stay out of trouble for few days! Just for few days damned it and you managed to ruin my peace in day one!!” cried her in his ears,

“Why you keep bothering yourself with Boss’s work, you are not my boss!!”

“Say what now? Someone has to do it properly and Luffy doesn’t!”

“So you picked yourself for the task!!”

“Shut up and answer me!!”

Zoro pointed his first finger in Ace’s direction while he looked at Ray,

“This guy here, he fought off those men not me!!....though I so much wanted to!”

“What do I do with you??” yelled Nami again,

“Did somebody say hot blonde bombshell?” A man came barging in, a blonde man with spiral eyebrow, wait! What? Spiral? Really? He was tall and pale, handsome, had blue eyes; he had an expensive looking suit on, golden blonde hair, cigarette held between lips. He looked around and jumped off his skin after one look at Ray, he nearly gave her an attack as he hurried to her,

“Oh! Today is my lucky day! Truly …..Unparalleled beauty! Please accept my love, my lady. I promise that I will hunt them down and make sure they pay for their unforgivable crime!”

“I said quit it, Dammit!” Nami smacked the blonde dude on the head but he kept eyeing Ray like she was most beautiful girl he had even seen,

“Nami sweet, don’t think my love for you has gotten any less!”

“Yeah, saying that while eyeing another girl! I really believe you Sanji!” her sarcasm didn’t affect him one bit, she sighed and walked over to Sanji who was sniffing Ray like some kind of animal, acting like a love struck idiot,

“My love will protect you from every possible difficulty my dear!!” Sanji was very close to Ray, little more than necessary, coddling himself like he wanted to coddle Ray like that, both his hands intertwined in each other,

‘What’s wrong with him? Is he having some love disease?’

“Don’t go on blowing up your cover, lover boy!! That poor girl might need a protection against you for all we know!” Nami struck him down with a sandal to snap him out of that, he was really creeping Ray out, she could have fallen on ground from her bed if she had backed off some more, she was almost at edge of bed, she could really have fallen off it if Ace hadn’t come and supported her frame,

“Nami is so beautiful when she is angry!!” exclaimed Sanji smiling like an idiot, Zoro glared at Ace but what he said did stirred things up a bit,

“Look at him, falling all over himself! Great Lover, aint ya!!” mocked Zoro and that did it, the love struck sweet Blondie got furious within second, Ray felt like Sanji who was radiating love waves was now emitting flames, he narrowed his eyes on the said Moss-head and positioned his leg for a powerful kick he was planning in landing on Zoro, Ray’s eyes widened at the thought, she looked at Zoro worried but everyone else didn’t pay any heed to them, she was about to speak but Ace squeezed her shoulder,

“You said anything Moss head? None of this would have happened if you would take taken a good care of Ray-chan! Just how the hell did you let that happen to such a beautiful girl? I will kick you into the depths of hell you green headed idiot!!”

Zoro got up and glared at Sanji and took out his swords, wait what? Where the hell those came from? He had been carrying them around? In hospital? Ray wanted to scream aloud but somehow, poor girl kept all her feelings to herself,

“Bring it on ero cook! I will chop you up into thousand pieces, even your own father wouldn’t recognize you when I am done!” Katana were out of the sheath,

“Zoro?” whispered Ray knitting her eyebrows in worry,

“Knock it off you two!!” the Orange head gave them a fist of her bossy attitude, some people were laughing their heads off when Ray noticed, a guy was peeking inside room from a window, a toothy grin, big confident shiny black eyes, jet black hair, a straw hat and a scar below the left eye,

“Bhuhaa, Buhaa! Zoro and Sanji are so funny!” 

“They sure are!!” Ace said and sighed securing Ray against him, he was happy that Ray was not lost in some creepy thoughts of the past but was engrossed in these kids goofing around, the straw hat guy stopped Laughing all of a sudden,

“Ace!! Ace!! That you?”  

“Luffy? Looks like you haven’t changed a bit!” Ace smirked as he stood up from the bed,

“Wow! You have grown quite taller!”

“Wait! Do you know who is this?” a dark guy asked,

‘That another new person, wait! Is that nose even real?’ thought Ray looking at a dark skinny man with weird long nose, dark curly hair, bandana tied around head,

“Of course! Wouldn’t I be knowing my own big brother? Buhhaa! Huhaaa!”

“So, he is your brother?” Orange head looked surprised and so was everyone else, but another tall man with afro and a suit showed up,

‘Shit! Where the hell are all these people coming from?’

“You two are totally opposites!!” Zoro’s remark went ignored, not by Ray but by almost all others,

“Laughing his head off on a self-made pathetic joke like that, that’s just like our captain!” said the Blondie and took out a cigarette from his pocket and a lighter,

“For the last time Sanji, no smoking in here. It’s a hospital!” yet another new guy, short, cute smile, chest nut eyes, brown hair, really cute looking teen stopped Blondie from smoking,

“Opps! My bad!” he pocketed his things quickly and looked at Ray,

“What a rare beauty you are? Care to join me for a drink Ray-chwaan!!” Sanji’s proposal got a dazed look from Ray and nothing more….

“Don’t beat yourself up about it, things like that happen, it was bad I know but you got out of it just fine _ne_? I would suggest you learn some self-defense tricks to keep yourself safe!” said a raven haired girl, ‘Wait! Now another new face, who is she now?’ She appeared mature, calm and collected than other people in the room,

‘Yeah! Right on the spot!’ thought Zoro, but his eyes widened when Robin continued,

“Though such tricks mostly won’t work if you are surrounded by group of people wanting to attack you but you can hold your ground against one or two. I would say you were lucky that Ace and Marco were around, those people were very bad people indeed, the whole mock-town wont as much as acknowledge their crime but just turn a blind eye to whatever they do. But you are safe now, they have not been arrested but yes, they won’t touch you now I can assure you that. My name is Robin, it’s nice to meet you Miss Rachel Reynolds!’

Ray managed a nod and they looked away from her, they all just kept talking among themselves, Ray neither pay any attention to them nor did she talk to anybody, just avoided all the gazes she was staring at some spot on wall.

::

“Enough fooling around! I need to get Ray home! She needs to rest!” Ace yelled above their voices,

“Eeh? I told you I will take care of that!” Zoro snapped at Ace and that was quite unexpected for every person in there.

“Whoa! Chillax dude!!” Usopp exclaimed,

“Look, I need to..”

“Ace or whatever your name is, look, I am currently staying at hers, okay? So, I will take her home! No point in arguing!” spoke the green head,

That was umpteenth time Ray shot her head up like that, Ussop, chopper, Nami gasped, Luffy either did not understand or simply did not mind, Sanji’s frown deepened and Robin gave no expressions at all, nobody knew why and when it got all that tense like that all of a sudden, they could feel the bitterness in air, thick silence, again,

“You what?”

“Man, I don’t need to explain myself to you and you just don…”

Ray’s whisper was enough to stop the war that was about to start,  

“Ace, you just met your brother after such a long time, I think you have a lot of catching up to do! I will see you in the lab tomorrow! I am okay, really! Don’t worry!”

‘Why is she acting like that?’ thought Ace before he spoke, he relaxed his shoulders and folded arms over his chest, closing his eyes he gave a sigh,

“Guys, could you give us minute??” 

“Sure!”

All of them nodded and started strolling out of the room except for Zoro, the Green-head didn’t leave his seat from chair,

“Zoro??” Whispered Ray and sighed, he glared at Ace which Zoro himself couldn’t figure out exactly why he did it but he left the room none the less, door got shut behind him and ……….

‘Why the fuck I can’t stand it? It’s obvious that he wants to talk to her, he likes her and he just saved her from those men and I practically shouldn’t have any problem with him being close to her like that! Why should I? But what he wants to talk about, what there is to talk now, I want to be with her already, I need to get some answers out of that stubborn girl, why the hell won’t she call out for help? That Idiot!’

 


	6. Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro is confused, why cant he bear Ace's behaviour towards Ray.

‘Why the fuck I can’t stand it? It’s obvious he wants to talk to her, he likes her and he just saved her from those men and I practically shouldn’t have any problem with him being close to her like that! Why should I? But what he wants to talk about, what there is to talk now, I want to be with her already, I need to get some answers from that stubborn girl, why the hell won’t she call out for help? That Idiot!’

  
::

  
Zoro had Ray in his arms as usual, they were under covers on her bed in her apartment, her back connected to his bare torso, his hands intertwined in hers as he spooned her from back, Ray should have felt at ease, this is how she liked it, being with him, in her warm comfy bed, safe and secure in the arms of man she liked so much, but she wasn’t feeling good, that was obvious given the rape attempt she had faced quite recently but that was not it, Ray sighed and whispered,  
“Zoro?”

  
Zoro did not reply right off the bat but he sighed and tightened the grip on Ray a little more before whispering back,

  
“Um??”

  
“You feel kind of put off, I know something is bothering you, I know there is something but you are not talking and that’s making me edgy!!”

  
“Ray, that’s true but that is nothing compared to what you had to go through, so….sometime later may be…… but now you need to rest.”

  
“Zoro!!”

  
“Just rest for now!!”

  
“You don’t have to pamper me like this, I got over it okay! We still can be the way we always are, if you know what I mean!”

  
“Ray! Are you crazy? I am content like this and you know it!”

  
Ray smiled cutely and closed her eyes.  
“I like that as well!”

  
“Now go to sleep like good girl okay?”

  
Fifteen minutes later, she moved, turned to face him and hugged him, ten minutes later she stirred up again,   
“Zoro!!”

  
“Ray, you really being annoying now!!” scolded Zoro a little,

“Umm!” Ray sounded troubled, Zoro closed his eyes in annoyance that he flipped out on Ray for nothing, his features softened a little,   
“Okay! What is it? You feeling okay?”

  
“You know what? I want to eat ice-cream!”

  
Opening his eyes Zoro shot his eyebrows up,  
“What? Now?”

  
Ray withdrew back a little, her face held innocent expressions,  
“Yeah! Now, like right now!”

  
“I knew it, you must have ignored food with all those people around, also that big brother of Luffy’s was making you uncomfortable”

  
“No, actually I ate a lot but I am hungry again and please, you are just being prejudiced, I don’t know why is that but Ace is such a nice guy! He never makes me uncomfortable!”

  
“Yeah? I said what I saw. Anyway, I will be back in a minute, okay? On second thought, let’s go to the kitchen, we have lots of ice-cream right, we bought just this evening!”

  
Ray jumped up and gripped Zoro’s arm,  
“Zoro, it’s gotta be the cookie dough!”

  
“We have vanilla, I thought you liked Vanilla the most!”

  
“I do, but right now I want to have cookie dough!”

  
Zoro scratched the back of his head, looking at Ray, she looked like a kid asking for her favorite toy, he sighed,   
“Okay! I guess I will be back in few then, you wait here okay?”

Zoro patted her head, Ray nodded and watched Zoro pulling his pants up, he put on t-shirt and jacket and went away giving Ray a glance, Ray slid to Zoro’s side of bed and hugged his pillow, closed her eyes nosing into his pillow.  
::

  
Zoro and Ray sat across the table, Ray was in her minimum clothing, bikini style panties, her white tank top and had Zoro’s shirt draped over her, Zoro could all but see her eating her ice cream like a kid, she had this look on her face, like a kid had found a bag of chocolates. Ray ate Ice-cream like she hadn’t did that in a while, it was actually little adorable the way she was at it, like it was only thing she wanted to eat. Zoro smiled a little, that was rare to find cute smile like that on his face, but Ray was totally engrossed in eating to notice him, he snorted slightly and relaxed in his chair putting his chin in palm of his hand.

  
::

  
Ray took Zoro’s bowl too, he snorted a little, Ray was busy stuffing her face but after some time she finally talked,  
“What?”

  
“You look like a 10 year old!!”

  
“Any problem?”

  
“No, not at all!”

  
“Don’t mind if I finish yours as well, you are not eating as it is!”

  
“Sure, take all you want. I feel full looking at you eat!”

  
“Are you trying to get romantic with me?”

  
“Nope, I am just flirting with you!”

  
“How cute!” Ray batted her eyelash at him, sucked on the spoon looking at Zoro, giving him hazy eyes and seductive look, she moved her shoulder and shirt fell off her shoulder a bit,

  
“Seriously Ray! Stop that!” some of the ice-cream got droped on her hand and wrist,  
“Naaa’ aaha!” Ray licked the ice cream off her wrist and then chewed on her lip never looking at Zoro,   
Not a second later, her hand got gripped and warm lips connected to her arm, licking the ice-cream off her hands,  
“Let’s get this off!” Zoro gently removed the shirt while kissing her neck,  
“Z- zoro!!”  
“Making sounds like that! You really sound inviting Ray!”

  
Zoro’s whisper was so stimulating, she felt herself getting wet between thighs, her hand fisted his t-shirt, tugged on it, his hands took her the tank off up little by little, he boobs now exposed to chilly air, he took the top off pulling over her head, his hands now worked on her underpants,

  
“So, you want your share after all!!” Ray hugged herself to cover her boobs,

  
“I will have a fair share but you need to control yourself naughty girl!!”

Zoro pulled on knot which held her sexy bikini in place....  
Ray now sat butt naked on the kitchen counter, she felt cold surface and chilly air and soon started shivering slightly.

Zoro was observing her keenly, her big blue eyes, her creamy white skin, her boobs half hidden behind her hands folded over her chest, her curvy hips, her thighs cutely joint together to hide her womanhood from him, his hands on both sides of her, resting on counter; Zoro stared at her, his grin was in place as usual,   
“Zoro? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  
“Ray, you really are very beautiful!!” That brought cute pink tinge on her cheeks, she looked away shying,  
“Seriously, I have met many girls, seen many but you are most beautiful of them all.”   
Zoro couldn’t tell what happened but she bent forward and rested her head on his chest,  
“Hey?” He covered her shivering form with his shirt again and hugged her firmly,  
“You okay?”  
“Yeah! Thanks for the praise!”  
“You kidding me? I told you it way back and I am saying it again, you are most beautiful woman I have ever met Rachel, no matter how much time passed by that didn’t change, after all they say the truth is a truth. But I have to say, you really turned me on eh?”  
“Zoro, I was just trying to get your mood back! I hate to say it but our date was kinda ruined.”  
“Idiot! It’s not just the dates and the sex I am here for, this city has places for the needy people and we are not just fuck buddies! I like you okay! You are important, I kind of care for you, now let’s go to bed!” Zoro picked Ray up bridal style and headed for bedroom,  
Ray was blushing like school girl now, grinning like an idiot, Zoro sputtered a little,  
“You are important, I kind of care for you” mimicked Ray which snapped Zoro,  
“Oi! What is it? You want to say something?”  
“I care for you too! Not too much though!”  
“Yeah! Yeah! Whatever!”  
“Wait Zoro, there still some ice cream left!”  
“That’s enough ice cream for today!”

  
::

  
Ray was asleep in Zoro’s arms, resting comfortably in his warm embrace, he idly ran his hand through her hair, he tried to sleep but he was wide awake even after two hours of silence; he didn’t find enough peace to fall into slumber.  
‘Che! And I used sleep like a log in the middle of a storm!’  
Zoro could sense Ray stir up, she started shivering,  
‘Look at her, shivering even inside the blanket! Idiot might have taken her ass out of the dammed blanket!’ thought Zoro,  
He turned to cover Ray with warm cover if she might have had her leg or hands out of it but no, she was securely covered, then he looked closely to find her shivering with fear, like she was having a nightmare, her temple was wet and she was covered with sweat,  
‘God! Is she having a bad dream or something??’  
Rays’s hands moved and started scratching and rubbing the skin of her neck and she started sniffling,  
“Hey! Ray? Wake up!”  
“Ray, what is happening? Ray!!!” yelled Zoro snapping her out. She opened her eyes to find concerned Zoro looking at her with furrowed brows, her hands held away from her body above her head, his hand on her cheek, she was panting and terrified beyond anything,   
She busted into tears, he let her hands go and she hugged Zoro like she was drowning and he had saved her,  
“It was a dream! A bad dream!! Relax!! You are okay now!!”  
She did not reply but couldn’t stop shivering,  
“Take deep breath, I have got you babe!! Relax!! Okay!!”  
In some minutes her breathing went normal, she withdrew back from Zoro,   
“Sorry!” whispered Ray looking away,  
“Relax, no need of sorry and all! This happened first time??”  
“Umm-hmm!”  
“You okay?”  
“Hmm!”  
Her hand went to her neck again, her face showed signs of panic a little, she gritted her teeth a little as she tried to rub her skin where she was kissed by the brute Bellamy,  
“Don’t rub it, it’s a wound already!!”  
“I wish I could take off that skin!” she was looking away from him, as if to hide from his gaze, he leaned in, took her hand in his and kissed on the bruised spot,  
“Nothing is wrong with it, see!” he licked it, leaving many butterfly kisses on her neck, her shoulder, he held her close and put his hand on back of her head to adjust her neck,  
“I like how it tastes, your skin! Don’t you harm it!”  
“Zoro!!” She fisted the bed sheet in her hand, she was not feeling comfortable when he licked her abused skin, actually it should have soothed her skin, eased her mind, she knew it was Zoro but she couldn’t relax, he noted that and pulled out,  
“Hey!”  
“Zoro, I feel nauseous!”  
“You need some pill? Take a walk? Have some water?”  
Ray was looking away from him, her eyes were distant, pain evident on her face, he touched her hands to make her leave the death grip on bedsheet,  
“Relax Ray!!”   
Ray uncurled her fingers, closed her eyes and her face started wetting with warm water again.  
“You said you got over it! I know it’s not that simple but just try to forget what happened, you were lucky that wasn’t as bad as it could have gotten.”   
“I feel sick when I think about it!”  
“Yeah, I know!”  
“I felt so helpless!” whispered Ray gritting her teeth,  
“I know, I am sorry!”  
“Its not your fault!” said Ray and hugged Zoro again, he hugged her back and kept thinking, after some minutes;   
“Ray, he didn’t..” Zoro stopped abruptly, Ray looked at him,  
“----“ Ray’s eyes held questions for Zoro, it seemed like it was difficult to speak, like he was regretting even before he spoke, Ray looked grave, her eyes were guilty,  
“Zoro, what is it?”   
“He didn’t, -----he didn’t kiss you, did he?”  
Ray’s eyes went wide, chagrined she looked down shaking her head silently…….  
“Hey! I am sorry!” Zoro kissed her forehead and rested his head on her bosom, after some minutes she spoke,   
“Does it matter to you?” she sounded bleak,  
“Of course, I wish I could be the one to beat him, I could have killed him even, I shouldn’t have left in the first place!”  
“Don’t think like that, its not your fault, nobody knew something like that would happen!”  
“I told you I care about you!”  
Ray hugged him and cried silently till she fell asleep, he didn’t stop her nor did he talk again,  
::  
The phone was ringing and ringing, it was Ray to notice it, she noted the sound in her sleep, she groaned and moved to seat up,  
“What the hell!” whispered Ray,  
“That a call? This early hour??” Zoro whispered,  
“I will get it!” Ray got off the bed and made it to the phone to notice it wasn’t early morning but was late morning,  
“Ray Raynolds!” Ray had to hold the phone away as she heard the loud voice,  
“Haven’t you ever heard of taking necessary precautions, lady?”  
“Hi Sarah! Good morning to you too!” Ray smiled slightly,  
“Idiot! What the hell were you thinking eh?”  
Ray lazily slumped on the couch and closed her eyes,  
“I am not sure what are we talking about!!” Ray gave a yawn,  
“Test did comeback positive!”  
Ray opened her eyes and gave a blank stare and then sighed,  
“Oh! Not much of surprise, I did it at home!”  
“You okay now?” Sarah sounded soft,  
“Yeah, so, when are you giving me the pills?”  
“You don’t want to know any other options?”  
“Nope, just give me pills like last time!”  
“They won’t work now! We have to go for the surgery!”  
“What? Why?”  
“Ray, you are 13 weeks pregnant! Pills are not going to work. Was it Zoro again?”  
“Yeah!”  
“Jesus! Ever heard of condoms? Geez!!”  
“Sarah! Don’t start that! Okay! Just tell me when you want me?”  
“Earlier the better!”  
“Okay, I will see what I can do!”   
“Why you are damaging yourself like that? Why do you keep doing it! Have you ever considered of telling him may be?”  
“He didn’t want to do that to me! It was just an accident!”  
“Yeah? For Once, it is, let us talk about third time eh?”  
“Sarah! Don’t freak out darling! I am sorry okay!”  
“I am worried Ray!”  
“I know!”  
::  
In hospital, Sarah was ordering Ace to go and make Rachel come to hospital as early as possible and she wanted Ace to do it,  
“Hey Sarah!! What surgery?”  
“Don’t worry! She will be okay in few hours!!” said Sarah and went away, Ace kept thinking and thinking as he made his way to Ray’s house to pick her up…..  
::  
When Ace reached the place, door was unlocked and Ray was seated on couch as usual, neck deep in books,   
“Umm, Rachel?”  
“Yeah?? Oh!! Hi Ace!! You are fashionably early!”  
“You alone?”  
“Why? You wanna do something to me?” Ray made coy face and Ace smirked at her walking to her couch,  
Ace laughed and made his way in,  
“Make some place to seat, I am sorry about the mess but my friend, this raven haired fella, who also happens to have very bright and beautiful smile, kinda gave me lotta work to do!”   
Hearing her speak like that, Ace’s cheeks pinked a little, he scratched back of his head and went to seat near her, actually quite nearer,  
“Wow! Thanks, I didn’t know you liked my smile!” She made some distance between them as she stood up,   
“You smile makes my day my friend, so you up for a coffee?” Ace got up and grabbed her wrist,  
“What surgery you are going through??”  
“She told you that??”  
“Old man told me you won’t be working at the lab for few days and I was hoping you will work for the project, we have lot of work to do and no time is enough so I had to find out what was going on, you got me worried but old man won’t talk no shit so, I went to see Sarah, to try to dig deeper, but she asked me to drive you to the hospital!”  
“Not deep enough!” Chided Ray and started walking away, but Ace ran and stood in her way again taking her hands in his,  
“Are you with a child?” Ace’s questions sent her overboard, she looked at him surprised, he caught a hint of fatigue in her eyes,  
“How could you tell?” whispered Ray,   
“Don’t do it!”  
“What? Ace please..”  
“Ray if you don’t want to do it please don’t, really---..”  
“I don’t want to be a single mother, I am not equipped for it, it was a mistake Ace, I am sorry for that but I don’t want to burden anybody for my sake, I can’t have a child now! I am not----“  
“I will help you, I want to help you. I will raise your child as my own, I like you Rachel!”

 


	7. Anger

::

To be honest, Zoro was very mature and calm person, he believed in meditation to find peace of mind, he was person who usually kept anger inside him, he always wanted to keep his cool, never really got emotional, never outwardly shown any emotional attachment to any person either.

He tried to rationalize everything, trying to find a reason in everything happening around him. He was no man of words, but he was not cold either, when moment came and time asked for it, he showed his emotional side. His friends knew he was pretty soft when it came to some special people. ::

Zoro came out of the bathroom, towel hung low around his waist, he was looking for his clothes when he found his cellphone buzzing,

“Sanji? What the hell is he calling me for??”

Zoro picked up the call none the less,

“Yeah??”

“Hey Zoro? You busy?” asked the cook, it was very uncommon and out of character for Sanji to be this polite and nice to Zoro… Well, the way they were always at eachother’s throats, everyone could only call them rivals, but why it was like that or exactly how it got started, nobody knew it.

“What’s up, cook?”

“Can we meet up or something!”

“Don’t you get a meaning of one night stand, cook? I told you that day itself, no strings attached, so don’t bother trying to get nice with me.”

“It doesn’t need to be like that Zoro! I am not asking you to have a relationship with me!”

“You are totally impossible, I told you long back and I am telling you again, I am not going to be with you again. It was a mistake I guess. I shouldn’t have slept with you in first place.”

“You are such a cold hearted bastard, you know that!”

Sanji sounded pissed, but Zoro didn’tcare, why should he.

Zoro sighed befor he spoke, “Yeah! Thanks, now I am gonna hang up!”

“How come a guy who sleeps around likes to sleep with Ray-chan again and again. I bet that’s why you stay at hers every time we are back home.”

Sanji had done it now, annoyed Zoro, what business did Sanji had what Zoro would do with anyone.

“You mind your own frigging business, you shitty cook!”

“Hit a nerve, did it! So, she knows you enjoyed fucking me that day? Rather you convinced me in getting in your bed?”

“If you call me again for this thing, I will cut your throat, dirty dartbrow!” said Zoro and hung up on Sanji.

Zoro did not know how to hold cook at bay, his mouth was running far too much for Zoro to bear.

‘Would Ray mind it, I slept with Sanji once, well she never asked about other girls, what difference does one night with Sanji is gonna make! May be, I will tell her that too…it will be fun to see her reaction..’

He was about to call for her, when he heard Ray speak,

“Yeah?? Oh!! Hi Ace!! You are fashionably early!”

‘That Ace prick again?’

Zoro took his towel off and put on his briefs,

“You alone?”

“Why? You wanna do something to me?”

‘She is flirting at him? Just what he needs!!’

thought Zoro, he didn’t notice that he was already pissed. But what was Zoro pissed at, Ace’s actions or Sanji’s call,

“Make some place to seat, I am sorry about the mess but this, a friend of mine, this raven haired fella, who also happens to have very bright and beautiful smile, kinda gave me lotta work to do!”

‘She is got some nerve!’ tsk!ed Zoro,

“Wow! Thanks, I didn’t know you liked my smile!”

‘No she doesn’t you bastard!!’

“You smile makes my day my friend, so you up for a coffee?” offered Ray and stood up,

“What surgery you are going through??”

‘Surgery? The fuck? She didn’t tell me that??’

Zoro got up and started walking to go to the living room,

“She told you that??”

“Old man told me you won’t be working at the lab for few days and I was hoping you will work for the project, we have lot of work to do and no time is enough so I had to find out what was going on, you got me worried but old man won’t talk no shit so, I went to see Sarah, to try to dig deeper, but she asked me to drive you to the hospital!”

“Not deep enough!” Ray sounded smug for a second.

‘So, she wants to spend time with me? That’s why she delayed her so called project? What’s going on? It’s very unlike Ray? She is not that laidback’

“Are you with a child?”

‘What now!’

Zoro stopped dead in his tracks, he couldn’t think anymore, He peeped to look at her, Ray looked shocked as well, in fact she looked sadly shocked, Zoro looked keenly at her face, he couldn’t make out what she was thinking, he took a step back and leaned his back on wall,

“Don’t do it!”

“What the..” Ace didn’t let her complete,

“Rachel, if you don’t want to do it please don’t, really---..”

‘Is she really pregnant? For real?’

to say that Zoro was shocked….

“I don’t want to be a single mother, I am not equipped for it, it was a mistake Ace, I am sorry for that but I don’t want to burden anybody for my sake, I can’t have a child now! I am not----“

‘Holy shit!! She is pregnant.. Fuck!!’

Zoro didn’t know what to think,

“I will help you, I want to help you. I will love the child as my own, I promise, I like you Rachel!”

‘That bastard! How the hell he can say that? Is this a joke? Why I have an urge to interrupt whatever is going on!’

“Ace, do you even know what are you saying?”

“I know exactly what I am saying, I earn good, I am 28, I can take up the responsibility of a family, I know you have always been wanting one, so do I; Ray, I know you keep trying to do it all alone but please just share some burden, you don’t have to be alone, I respect you a lot and I feel very protective of you, I think I am falling for you Rachel.”

‘You think? Really? I know, for fuck’s sake, that you have fallen for her, dumbass! At least, have the guts to say it! Love! Like hell it’s real! He is just infatuated with her, she is beautiful girl after all! I can’t let her fall into this crap…’

“Ace you can’t, your dad already has---..”

“I just want to know if you like me or not! It’s been months, whatever I try and do, I can’t figure out if you like me or not or whether you like anybody else, you are such a complicated person Ray!”

‘She is so simple, so easy, understanding, you can’t say that she is complicated. She understands everything just fine, I don’t even have to say it and she does what is required. Man, I don’t even remember her getting upset with me, I didn’t even try to get her attention, I never had to, nor did she ever do that, I just know she likes me, I like her … You can’t just meddle in her life like that Mr. Ace, I won’t allow that!’

Zoro’s feet made their way to the living; he walked mindlessly just to shove Ace away from Ray, Was he overstepping his boundaries???

He didn’t give it a thought…just walked towards Ray… Zoro spotted Ray and his blood ran cold,

Ray stared back at Ace with wide, terrified eyes, she looked frightened for something, Anger took over his senses,

Zoro gritted his teeth, he wanted to jump forward and cut Ace into pieces, Wait!! What? He wanted to chop him into pieces?? But why? Was it his jealousy? Was he even allowed to feel that?

‘If you are afraid, call out for help, you idiot! I can’t act if you let him touch you, I can’t do anything if you don’t say that you don’t want it! Ray, tell him to back the hell off or I am gonna kill him!!’

“Ace—!!” Ray sounded weak,

Zoro panicked, ‘I am gonna make him regret his every word!’

“You don’t need to answer right away! Please take your time, think this through, you don’t have to abort the child if you want to keep it. Look, you let the baby grow this much, two months is enough to know whether you want it or not! Don’t discard the God’s gift.”

Ace’s sound was soft, he caressed her cheek,

“Please let it go Ace! You don’t have to..”

Ray looked sad, she took his hand off her face but Ace dared speak again,

“Don’t feel bad, love! Please just calm down, I--I don’t want to lose you.”

“D—Don’t Ace, don’t say that, don’t—just don--”

“I am saying that I love you Rachel!!”

Ace leaned in, his hand went to back of her head and….

‘Bastard! Oh, no you don’t!’

Before Zoro could yell, Ace’s lips touched Rachel’s, her eyes went wider, she stood there stupefied neither responding nor rejecting, Ace’s eyes were closed, his grip was firm, water welled out from her eyes.

Ace felt a large hand on his shoulder, gripping it painfully tightly, Ace left Ray’s lips, his grip on her loosened as he tried to look back, soon was yanked back, his shirt was gripped in two strong hands,

“You bastard!! How dare you touch her?”

Ace was taken by surprise, “You stay away from her, you got that?”

“Excuse me??? Who the hell are you to tell me that, eh?”

“That’s none of your business!”

Ace pushed Zoro back,

“Then this also is none of your business!” rebuked Ace,

“If you make her cry I will make it my business, you damned cheeky son of bitch!!”

Zoro threw his fist in Ace’s direction, Ace blocked it and looked back over his shoulder to look at Ray, there were tears in her eyes, Ace felt bad and he did not oppose the next fist that connected to his jaw, he was literally thrown back but he rose to his feet and went to Ray again, she backed of a little and went off balance but Ace supported her frame and took her hands in his,

“Rachel, I am sorry!!”

“I said, stay away from her!!”

Zoro tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t budge, Ray took her hands out of Ace’s and backed off a little,

“You don’t tell me what to do! You impregnated her, didn’t you?” accused Ace furiously..

“What the fuck you just said?” Soon, both were each other’s throats,

“Enough!! Stop!! Stop fighting!! Just go away, both of you!”

her cry made them snap out of it, Zoro left Ace alone and walked to Ray,

“Ray!”

Rachel gave a shudder and suddenly her knees got bent and her balance went off as she came falling down like person shot in the heart,

“Hey you, carefull”

Zoro put his hand below her head and secured her firmly before she hit the ground, “Babe, get a hold of yourself! It was just a stupid kiss okay!”

“Just a stupid kiss!” whispered Ace smiling bitterly, he wiped his chin off his own blood,

“Stay away from me!!” said Ray but gripped Zoro’s hand and tugged on it balancing her own weight, shedding tears, she sniffled punching his chest weakly, her words meant for him to go away and actions suggested the opposite,

“What the hell did I do now?” Zoro sneaked arm around her waist and pulled her closer,

“Back off!! All you boys are all just the same!!” wailed Ray,

“I am not like them!”

“Everybody says that!”

“I am not like them and you know it!”

“I hate you!!” Ray hugged Zoro muttering curse under her breath,

Zoro looked back turning his head, Ace was still there on his knees, looking down eyes shadowed, his face hidden as raven locks covered most of his forehead, he was rather taken off balance himself, his jaw was in pain and he was little bleeding too,

‘I hate you for making me do the things I can’t take back Zoro! I hate you for meeting me and making me fall for—‘

she didn’t even let that thought complete itself, she shoved it away, at the back of her mind….

“I hate you so much!” whispered Ray again and hid her face in Zoro’s neck,

“That’s fine with me, you don’t have to like me right now!!” Zoro hauled her up and put her on the couch,

“Ray, I will put some clothes on and I will be back in a flash, let’s get you to the hospital. I kind of hit your friend too hard and he is bleeding, let me fix him, you stay here okay?”

she nodded like a good girl and Zoro went away planting kiss on her temple.

::

Ray crouched down in front of Ace, “Ace, I am sorry!”

her voice was weak and apologetic, Ace did not move, did not look at her,

“Don’t be stupid Rachel, I should be the one apologizing! I don’t even know how to face you anymore, it all went so terribly wrong.”

Ace’s joyous voice was gone, he sounded dejected,

“Ace…” whispered Ray in worry,

“Sometimes, it all just boils down to a bad move, I kept thinking and thinking for weeks, I wanted to ask you out in most romantic way possible in world and even today, after hours of practicing I couldn’t communicate my feelings to you, I messed up and ended up offending you, making you want to cry.”

“Hey Ace, you did not make me cry! And I didn’t say that I hate you.”

Ace stopped talking, blank stared at the floor for minute or two with wide eyes, Ray’s hand went to his face, she made him look at her, “Listen to me very carefully Ace!”

“Rach…”

“You are a very nice person Ace, charming, honest, full of life, brave and very handsome. I would have fallen for you the moment I met you; hadn’t I already be in love.”

He looked a little shocked at the fact, yes he was, why would not he be? The way Rachel was, the way she behaved nobody could tell she was a lovebird……..

“Yes, sounds weird right? I am sorry but I am helplessly in love with this man, I can’t even talk about it and I can’t ask him to love me back; hell, I haven’t even confessed yet. So, our condition is nearly the same, please don’t feel bad, we will be friends no matter what but you will have to protect the very secret I just told you…. from everybody, even from Zoro!”

Her voice was so low, barely above whisper,

“You are in love?”

Ace touched her hand that was on his cheek,

“Yeah! For more than four years and 7 months!” Ray smiled sadly,

“Doesn’t it hurt? The longing?”

“It does but we can’t help it, now can we?”

Ace moved a little and hugged her, she wrapped her hands around his head and let him cry on her shoulder.

Zoro saw that but opted to shut up for now, he could figure it out, it was Ray who went to talk to Ace, Ace never left his place where he was when Zoro left them.

::

Zoro took her and Ace to the hospital, chopper was preparing for the surgery, Sarah was informed before Ray was taken to hospital, Ace’s wounds were treated, Zoro asked Ray to talk to him in private, She was seated on a chair,

Zoro was standing in the lobby, leaning his back on white hospital wall, looking at Rachel as she looked away from him, her face tensed and eyebrows drawn into a scowl,

“So, it’s true then, you have a baby inside your belly! I couldn’t know!”

Rachel sighed and spoke bitterly,

“It’s not that big, you can’t tell yet!” Her attitude was making Zoro grit his teeth,

“But, you should have been careful you damned idiot; should have told me!”

“Why? Was it gonna change anything? I don’t think so!!”

“What you mean why? You were pregnant and we have been having sex every day like---like---a newly married couple” yelled Zoro,

“Hey! Keep it down!! And it doesn’t matter okay” whisper-yelled Ray.

“Yeah?? Never took you for a fool!!”

“Just shut up okay!” Zoro moved a little and crouched down in front of her,

“I can’t, you are going to hurt yourself!”

“No, I won’t!”

She still would not look at him, he cupped her face and made her look at him, her scowl dissolved, her face felt sad,

“Tell me one thing, this baby, whose child is that?”

Rachel closed her eyes, avoided his gaze, “None of your business!”

“Fair enough, I will reframe it. Rachel, am I the father of the child?”

Rachel took his hands off her face, she looked away yet again,

“It still is the same no matter how many times you ask, it’s none of your business!”

Zoro put his finger under her chin to make her face him again as he started talking,

“If I am the one, then I guess it’s all my business to know if you---“

Rachel hissed and rebuked narrowing her eyes on him,

“Hold it right there! You tell me this Zoro, even if it was your child what are you gonna do? You can’t make me give him the birth against my will, you can’t raise a child either. So what are you gonna do? Are you gonna force me into doing it? Kidnap me? Enslave me? Marry me? What?”

That made him stop talking, but Ray felt bad being rude to him like that…..she took his hands in hers,

“Look Zoro, I am sorry, but it’s the hormones, they make me go crazy sometimes. They say it happens in the pregnancy. I did not mean to sound that rude, but the fact is that I can’t raise a child on my own; I need to focus on the project.”

“I know but—“

“Zoro, when we met for the first time, in that bar, you caught my attention right on, then you came at my table, started talking to me, I don’t even remember how you charmed me into talking that much, we had good chat then you somehow picked me up and we ended up sharing bed for the night and that was it, we were never supposed to see each other or even know each other like this. When you met me for second time, we did it again and then kept doing the same for a while but it was you who drew this line between us, this unbreakable invisible wall that we never cross, keeping our minds at hand’s distance from each other, we have always kept it that way!”

“Yeah! Being practical and rational was the whole point!”

“Exactly! I am just doing that, keeping it to the code! So, just let it go, there is nothing to discuss!”

Zoro closed his eyes and sighed,

“Yeah! I guess, you are right.”


	8. Wrinkle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lemon!  
> How Sanji and Zoro got into that awkward moment?

It always the fun to party with crew, everybody of which we would know lay down their lives for us. Bit cheesy it may seem but Zoro knew it was true, others were not like him, not as powerful and skilful as he was but they all had an important role in his crew, even the idiot cook, as Zoro now a days called him by.

Party was as lively and lovely as ever, luffy was stuffing his face as usual, Sanji's cooking was being praised, beers and sake was being enjoyed, everything was as it should be except for the cook.

He was different lately, not like his usual self, for as long as the crew could remember, he was charming and sweet fella always trying to pick up girls, flirting with every another girl he could find.

Nami, Robin, Vivi, Kaya, Usopp, Franky, Chopper, Luffy all were chatting, making jokes, laughing, celebrating their recent successful job. Agency had given then two days off, not that it was sufficient to return home but was enough to enjoy in current city they were staying at. Zoro was seated at a distance from all that commotion, gulping his beloved sake. He spotted cook, far from them, standing on the edge, looking across the field...

Zoro would never have done it, he normally never did such sentimental stuff but he knew something was indeed wrong with the cook. He thought of talking to him, he was about to get up when cook himself turned around and accidentally enough their eyes met.

Both of them looked at each other, just stared for a while like that, none of them would look away until Zoro smirked at the cook,

Sanji looked away and went into the kitchen, Zoro kept thinking what made Sanji do it.... again, Zoro had caught Sanji staring at him many times before...was it just a coincidence....

Sanji brought more food for he knew Luffy's enormous appetite could very well lead to other’s unsatisfied hunger, he couldn’t risk his precious Nami-swan and Robin-chwan holding back for his idiot captain.

“Here, enjoy the food!” Sanji made the servants put the food on the table and disappeared in the kitchen even before asking Nami how she liked the food, it was very unusual, though Nami didn’t seem to record.

“Damn, something is wrong with curly!” cussed Zoro,

“ _kuso_ , sake is gone too, how quickly it finished.. huh! Guess, gotta go and ask for another myself, he aint coming out any soon!” Zoro thought aloud and headed for the kitchen.

“Oi, Zoro, come here, don’t you wanna eat!!” Usopp enquired,

“No problem Zoro, i will have your share taken care of!” obliged Luffy cheekily,

“You already ate half of the food, you still this hungry?”

“This is tasty! _Meshi_!!!” exclaimed Luffy,

“Oi, Luffy.!!” Usopp tried to talk to Luffy but Zoro interrupted,

“Let it go Usopp....”

“Demo..” said Usopp but Zoro neglected and walked to the kitchen,

Door got unlocked and Zoro entered the room, Sanji was staring at wall, standing near kitchen counter, didn’t look like he had much to do there, nobody was around...

‘has he gone mad, what the hell is he doing??’

“Oi, cook!!”

“-----“ no response..

“Stupid dartbrow!!!” called Zoro again,

“------“

Zoro walked to Sanji, put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it a bit,

“Sanji!!!!” that snapped the cook out of it,

“Wh—what?”

“That’s is what I want to ask, what’s up with you! You don’t feel yourself..”

“What...nothing is up, I am fine, just fine, ..”

“Just fine, except you look like a girl mopping over a broken heart!” taunted Zoro,

“What you know of it, _Marimo_!”

“Yeah? Definitely more than you!”

“ _Usso_!!”

“You try too hard , Cook; you follow them around like a puppy, let them walk all over you, tsk! Just be cool and girls will line up for you, you not that bad, you know!”

Sanji didn’t believe that he would hear such a thing coming out Zoro’s mouth,

“Not that bad, eh?”

“Sanji..”

Sanji interrupted Zoro quite harshly,

“Take whatever you came in the kitchen for and leave, I don’t need dating advices from a cold hearted brute. I doubt you ever did anything that could be even slightly pleasurable to anyone”

That was a lie and Zoro got annoyed by the words Sanji used,

Zoro walked towards the fridge, took out a beer and was walking away when he felt Sanji’s gaze on him,

“Why?” asked Zoro stopping in his tracks abruptly,

“Why are you looking at me now!”

Sanji’s eyes widened, he looked away immediately,

“I have seen you staring at me, more than once, why is that? I am not a girl, i don’t have boobs which you fancy the most then why? Not that i mind but...”

Sanji’s breath got stuck in his lungs as Zoro pressed cook back to the kitchen counter,

“I---I don’t stare at you!”

“Really?? What was that before you hid yourself in the kitchen!!”

“Why were you looking at me then?” questioned Sanji back,

“I was ogling your ass, Sanji!”

“Wh—what? Are you mad!”

“What’s wrong about that?”

“I am straight, okey! I like girls, they are soft, fair, cute and adorable. I only like girls!”

“Are you sure about that? Why are you trembling now and why is that your face is all heating up??”

“Shu—shut up yo—you, Zo—Marimo—stupid swordsman---i am Sanji, i lo—love---girls”

“Wow, not only you are blushing but you are shuttering as well, worth a try ero cook!”

“T—try, what try, stay away from m—“

Zoro pressed Snaji’s face on his own, their lips met, Sanji could move no shit, Zoro put his finger to work and opened cooks mouth,

“Mhhhunngh!” Sanji’s actionless protest was ignored by Green haired man, beer bottle was put on kitchen counter and Zoro’s other hand grabbed Sanji’s ass, Sanji gave a gasp and Zoro charged his tongue yet further inside Sanji’s mouth, finally submission took over Sanji and he gave a moan,

Zoro had won the battle, he immediately pulled out and shoved cook away, and a whimper was heard,

“I will remember that lewd noise you made, also that erection which poked me down there, pretty reactive for a straight man.”

Sanji looked like he didn’t get what Zoro said, he was in utter confusion what just happened with him, Sanji swallowed thickly at the idea that he liked being kissed by a man,

“Zoro..” said Sanji in a low voice,

Zoro had a devilish grin on his face when he looked back over his shoulder, Sanji looked serious and pissed,

“Why?” asked the blonde cook,

“I would like to sleep with you tonight, is all!” said Zoro casually and made his way to the door,

“If you still think you are straight then ...” smirked Zoro and threw something at Sanji,

When he caught the object, Sanji found a key card, it was key to Zoro’s room of the hotel they were staying at.

“I will wait till 11 and no more, pretty cook, you have quite a while to think about it! If not you can return my key card tomorrow over tea or something.”

Zoro opened the door, vanished along with a loud noise door made after Zoro banged it close.

“Pretty cook??” whispered Sanji to himself astounded that he actually like what he heard..

He was really confused now, if he liked the girls very much; why he like getting kissed by a man like that, that too Zoro, who Sanji thought was a brute with no emotions..

“Fuck is happening!” yelled Sanji tugging on his hair...

::

‘I seriously am fucking idiot, what am I doing, am I really doing this......’ 

Sanji knocked on a white door, he was looked terrified out of his mind, behaving like a thief, he looked right then to his left, he kept doing it as if he didn’t want anyone to spot him...

He knocked again...

‘Damn, open up already....’

And he knocked on the door again…..

Zoro opened the door with towel wrapped around his waist....

“Are you an idiot? What the hell I gave you my keycard for, get in already!”

“I don’t need your stupid keycard, have it back and I am leaving.”

Zoro crossed his arms on his chest, and tilted his head totally amused, he smirked at Sanji who appeared to be totally panicked,

“You could have done that tomorrow, you didn’t come here to return it!”

“Look Marimo, I dont...”

Before Sanji could speak any further, door next to Zoro’s flew opened,...

“ _Shimattaa_ ” yelled Sanji and got in quickly, he was acting all stupid and dramatic..

“Okay than, welcome, I guess..”

“I don’t want to be here, you don’t understand..” Sanji charged furiously…...but Zoro held his shoulders..

“Sanji....Just stop this nonsense right now, look, you are not some teenager college girl, you are an adult, a strong and skilled fighter, you wouldn’t be here unless you wanted to, now let’s talk some business. Okay?” Zoro sounded calm and mature,

“Business?”

“Yes, first thing first, I don’t do dates, no future just one nightstand, I normally don’t do it with people I face or meet everyday, you could understand why but since you are a man, it would be okay.”

“No future?” repeated Sanji blankly, his big blue eyes locked on Zoro’s,

“That’s right, It’s fun, don’t worry and I always prefer protection”

“What...no way!” Sanji was about to jerk Zoro’s hand away,

“Hey, what are you so afraid of, eh?”

“I aint afraid of nothing, moss for brains; its just that its impossible to experience love or pleasure when you are enforcing something you know, besides how the hell are we gonna do it, i aint have no vagina nor do you!”

“Don’t tell me you don’t know anything about doing it in ass!”

“That even sounds so gross, don’t fucking know how gross it feels, let alone pleasurable.”

“You don’t know shit!”

“Yeah! I don’t want to know! Now let me go!” Sanjiou took away Zoro’s hands from his shoulders,

“What are your all assumptions based on? The way you are talking about it, you haven’t done it so how can you know about it!”

“So you did!”

“Yes, sure did; even girls enjoy it!”

“No way! I checked online, the submissive one is always in pain and crying little fella, there no way that big of dick would fit in a hole that small, where it’s impossible to insert a finger. It looks way too painful, body of a man not made for doing this, I don’t want to be in pain, given that you are the big guy here I will have to be the bottom.”

“You are one crazy fuck! Well, at least you got one thing right!”

“Yeah?”

“You are a bottom!”

“See, I knew it, I am out of here!” he shook his head and stared walking away from Zoro, stomping his feet in the process,

“Hey Sanji, look here for a sec!” Zoro took off the towel and hung it around his neck, Sanji turned around to find Zoro’s cock uncovered for him to see,

“What the fuck, damned Marimo!!” cussed Sanji, blush was evident on his face, he quickly looked away,

“Tell me one thing, you saw what, manga, online manga and you got the impression that one partner is always in pain, let me educate you a bit” Zoro was walking closer to Sanji, the cook couldn’t help but swallow thickly as he stole a glance at Zoro’s thick member. Sanji stood like a statue, didn’t say a word, Zoro took him by hand and made him sit on sofa,

“They can draw all kinds of crazy things, just take me and you, are you that small, You may be submissive but you are not like those ukes they draw, even I don’t wanna fuck some whiny little uke bitch crying and begging for my cock, there must be some passion in it.”

Sanji looked him in the eye, giving him blank look,

“You are strong and God, you so damn flexible, there won’t be any problem. If there would be any real case like they show in those manga, the guy would almost kill the swrany little sub with his dick. Think practically, look at my dick. C’mon don’t be shy, say hello.”

Sanji looked at him and then at his cock, quickly looked away,

“You want me to talk to your penis?”

“Oh baby, you will be doing more lovely things with my penis than that, so make yourself familiar and be friends as soon as possible.”

“You are crazy! Don’t tell me you named your cock!”

“Not yet, but good idea, you have any suggestions?”

“You crazy???” screamed Sanji getting all riled up,

“Oi, calm down, my point is, its practical, sex can be enjoyable between men. Our dumps are bigger than this, so there is no problem for the asshole to stretch that much, only the case in sex is, cock goes in instead of the shit coming out.”

“You are grossing me out, Zoro!”

“If ever you do it, do it with an experienced man or it hurts like hell.”

“Did you...!”Sanji asked but Zoro continued further,

“So, your choice, stay or leave but I am gonna kiss you one more time for all the trouble I took of explaining I did to your uneducated ass!”

Zoro leaned in quickly, putting hand on the back of Sanji’s neck, he yanked the blonde into a kiss, Sanji’s hands found no cloths on Zoro’s body to hold on to...fumbling with his fingers he scratched Zoro many places before Zoro left his lips,

“You damned fool! How dare you!” cussed Sanji but his hands were around Zoro’s neck.

Zoro smirked and hauled Sanji up on his lap,

“What? Wh—what are you doing? Hey!”

Zoro once again attacked blonde cook with a kiss, plastering his body with cook’s, he adjusted Sanji’s neck to deepen kiss, sliding his tongue deep inside Sanji’s mouth,

And again, Sanji moaned, and again Zoro broke the kiss when Sanji had just started to enjoy it, making Sanji whimper,

“Looks like we have got the noisy one here!”

Zoro smirked at Sanji, cook’s cheeks were pink with blush, his breath was uneven, he had his hands around Zoro’s neck, he looked quite comfortable on Zoro’s lap now,

“You saying its not painful?”

“So, you are okay seating in my lap with me butt naked?” that made Sanji blush even harder, Sanji was about to jump off and speak something stupid but Zoro restrained him,

“Its fun to tease you and yes, its painful for the first time, even for girls its painful for the first time. But the same pain becomes pleasure. I will show you how, come!”

And, instead of seating on lap now Sanji was in his arms, being carried bridal style,

“I don’t believe I am doing this!” exclaimed Sanji,

“You having second thoughts cook? Decide quickly, I am gonna go and take a quick shower, if I find you here, I will take it as a yes, if not we will forget everything right from the conversation we had in the kitchen this evening. So, decide now.”

Saying that Zoro disappeared from the bedroom into bathroom.........


End file.
